From Fear to Faith: Embracing Change & Uncertainty

It was 9pm on the 26 April…and I was feeling a certain amount of trepidation. I had just arrived at Melbourne Airport and was waiting for my flight. I had taken some Long Service Leave and was travelling overseas for the first time on my own - and going to Europe for the first time ever. Even though I had spent a lot of time planning for this trip, there was a fair bit of uncertainty about what lay ahead.

Whilst there are some people for whom spontaneity is second nature, and heading off on a trip overseas without much planning wouldn't faze them in the slightest, in general, most of us don't cope that well with uncertainty - we like our world to be ordered and predictable. And even though we can and do leave the future in God's hands, we still like to have SOME idea of what that future might look like - well I do, anyway!

But what if uncertainty is the new normal?

I recently came across this statement written by Adriano Di Prato, co-author of the bestselling book, 'Game Changers: Leading Today’s Learning for Tomorrow’s World’  

If we are preparing young people for a world we cannot predict, why do we insist on teaching as though certainty still reigns?

Four years ago, my son began studying a commerce degree. At the time, the major he chose to focus on, data analytics, was a sought-after skill. Now, AI can do much of the work he has trained to do. The growth of AI has been exponential and is having a major impact on the way we 'do' school. We are currently in a liminal space between what school once looked like, and what it will look like, and as teachers we contend daily with this tension, and how we should respond in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable world.

It was just prior to 6:00pm on the 9 May… and I was awe-struck. I was finally fulfilling a long-cherished dream to visit the Vatican and although I was not allowed inside the Sistine Chapel, due to the Conclave, I was able to visit St Peter's Basilica, a gorgeous, historic church in the heart of Vatican City. At 6:15 pm, while listening to the 6pm mass, I heard a huge roar from the crowd out in St Peter's square and ran outside to see the white smoke pouring out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel - signifying the election of a new Pope.

When I booked my tour of the Vatican, Pope Francis had not yet passed away. I was excited to be in Rome when the Conclave was on, but to be at St Peter's square at the same time as a new Pope being chosen was something I could not have predicted or planned for. Often, it's the things we don't plan for that turn out to be the best experiences. And sometimes being in a place of uncertainty allows for the growth of new ideas, and for innovation and creativity to flourish. 

As we grapple with what the future of school might look like, and how to address the current challenges we face, we pray for God's grace and the courage to embrace change, knowing that He does have the future in His hands. 

Of that, we CAN be certain!