No no no, not living and learning, although that’s also a good idea. Living in learning! What do I mean? Well, there are those who compartmentalize education and the fun parts of life…they study (maybe) and then they have fun. Then there are those who have fun studying, and no, not in a “frolicked through my chemistry textbook last Friday night” way. Rather, those who live in learning find satisfaction and benefit in discovering answers to any questions they encounter during life, whether while taking an exam or taking a walk.
I appreciate these people primarily for two reasons. First, because they both ask questions and seek out the most likely answers, they simultaneously are able to teach you and yet truly open their minds to what you can teach them! Second, their ability to enjoy problem solving often translates into a stable, productive life that ends up benefiting many. So it’s no surprise that I immensely respect and enjoy meeting people who live in learning, and one that undoubtedly stands out in my mind is Andrew Valesano.
Whether in regard to his academic endeavors, Christian faith, or extracurricular curiosities, Andrew asks hard questions and doesn’t blindly accept party line answers. He seeks to understand, not assume. He pursues, respects, and learns from authority, but not without assessing its legitimacy. And then he throws down a jazz piano gig at the local bar. So cool. I love talking to him because I know we’ll make each other think, learn, and be glad that we did. Andrew can make others enjoy becoming better because he enjoys becoming better, and that is a rare but admirable trait. Thank God for all the goodness that it has and will accomplish!
Have people in your life lived in learning, encouraging you to teach them while possessing knowledge and insight that has proved valuable to you? If so, heal their hereafter with a big hearty thanks!
I love promoting concepts that are important to those I am thankful for, and Andrew has two quotes to share. The first is by CS Lewis: “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.” The second is unintentionally but perfectly correlated with what I appreciate about Andrew above: “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)! Thanks for backing me up man.
