The Gift of Learning Again
In 2026, I’ve been able to learn intentionally from others’ teaching and wisdom. It’s something I haven’t been able to access for one reason or another for about fifteen years — and I’ve relished it. Being exposed to new ideas and fresh knowledge has reinvigorated me, and it’s made me wonder why I ever stopped wanting to actively learn.
Of course, we all learn new things every day: through small nuggets of wisdom, mistakes we make, or simply stepping out in faith. But sitting behind a desk, choosing to learn, and letting someone else teach you — that’s a different kind of gift. One I had forgotten I needed.
The Bible has a gentle way of reminding us that learning is not just for children or students. It’s a lifelong posture. Proverbs puts it simply:
“Let the wise listen and add to their learning.” (Proverbs 1:5)
Learning, in Scripture, is rooted in humility — the willingness to listen, to be shaped, to grow. It’s also communal. We learn best from one another: from neighbours who share their skills, from friends who speak honestly, from people whose experiences differ from our own. As another proverb says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
This year has reminded me that intentional learning changes us. It stretches our thinking, refreshes our imagination, and sometimes even rekindles parts of ourselves we thought had gone quiet. And it’s something we can all access, whatever our age or stage.
Perhaps as we move through the rest of the year, we might each ask: What could I learn? What are the gaps in my life where I could do with some more knowledge? What are my interests? What added value could there be to get back into an educational setting? Or maybe we need to ask – could I teach, and if so, what?
Learning isn’t just about gaining knowledge. It’s about becoming more open, more connected, and more alive to the world around us. And that, I think, is a change worth embracing.
Every blessing
Rev’d Suzie