I remember as a child being fascinated by keys and locks. In fact, at one point my mother expressed some mild concern to my father that I was a bit too interested in keys, especially the idea of a skeleton key that could (theoretically) open any lock, and that I was in danger of turning into some kind of thief!
Interestingly, when electronic keys became more and more common for motor vehicles, Mercedes Benz were apparently slow to adopt the technology, because they wanted to be absolutely convinced that the keys could not be easily replicated and the security of their cars therefore compromised.
Keys get us into places that would otherwise be un-accessible. Inevitably we end up with many necessary keys in our busy lives.
Jesus promised St Peter the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16, verse 19). Apart from inspiring a whole series of jokes which start something like, “Two people meet St Peter at the pearly gates…,” Jesus was giving St Peter the extraordinary responsibility of leading the early Church and setting the tone for its ministry. To use contemporary language, St Peter was responsible for creating the right “culture”, as we see in the powerful phrase, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (also Matthew 16: 19).
Modern educational theory is that culture trumps everything! The place of spirituality or faith (to use the more traditional word) is critically important in creating a good culture. We Australians sometimes underestimate the value of spirituality when it comes to creating a good culture. In fact, spirituality is the most crucial component!
Contemplative spirituality and prayerful meditation will create a culture of compassion, respect, academic excellence, and calm strength. Spirituality is the key to everything.
The Reverend Dr Theo McCall
School Chaplain