Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah; so he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

[31] The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. (NLT)

George Bernard Shaw, the Irish-born British playwright, said: "He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches." Our society does not fully appreciate the power of the teacher. Perhaps that's why we pay our garbage collectors more than we pay our teachers.

At best, teachers are underappreciated; at worst they are harassed. A survey of teachers who've taught more than 10 years also showed that 81% of them felt students today show less respect for authority than previous generations. (http://www.usatoday.com/snapshot/life/lsnap044.htm)

Gary Moriello, Principal of Gladstone School in Illinois had a substitute teacher walk out of the room because of the behavior of the students. She looked around the room and said, `Suddenly, I feel ill. I'm going home.'' At McAuliffe School in Chicago's Hermosa neighborhood, a group of students recently threw crayons and books at a substitute teacher who just ``couldn't cope with the kids, '' said one local school council member. ``And these were first-graders.'' (http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/subs19.html)

When I was a substitute teacher, one child made an obscene gesture at me and another one threatened me with a knife. Why would anyone teach? Beyond the public school arena, why would anyone volunteer to teach.

• Teachers can't not teach

Philip did not hesitate to teach the scripture to a man whom Mosaic law banned from the congregation. Deut. 23:1 KJV "He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord."

Why was the Ethiopian Eunuch traveling from Jerusalem? Perhaps he was a seeker wanting truth who was turned away from the temple. He had the truth--he was reading the bible, but he didn't understand what he read. He needed a teacher. Acts 8:30-31 NLT Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah; so he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" [31] The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

• Teachers help students discover truth

Teachers scratch where students itch. Nathan M. Pusey, President of Harvard, said, "The teacher's task is not to implant facts but to place the subject to be learned in front of the learner and, through sympathy, emotion, imagination and patience, to awaken in the learner the restless drive for answers and insights which enlarge the personal life and give it meaning."

Long before his time, Socrates said, "I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think."

Philip did not patronize the Eunuch. He participated in his quest for truth.

• Teachers teach because they never know "who will be the one."

Embarrassed, Les refused, saying, "I can't do that." "Why not?" "Because I'm

Mentally Retarded." The High School students snickered, as the teacher moved from behind his desk and said, "Don't ever say that again. Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality."

Les was very self conscious. After being put back twice, he was ready to accept the professional evaluation of the educators and believe he could never excel.

Another day, Les was walking down the hallway, when he heard Mr. Washington's voice coming from the auditorium as he gave a speech to the graduating seniors. "You have greatness within you," the teacher said. "You have something special. If just one of you can get a glimpse of a larger vision of yourself, of who you really are, of what it is you bring to the planet, of your specialness, then in a historical context, the world will never be the same again. You can make your parents proud. You can make your school proud. You can make your community proud. You can touch millions of people's lives. You can be the one."

When he was done, the crowd gave him a standing ovation. Touched by the power of Mr. Washington's words, Les stopped the teacher in the Parking lot. "Mr. Washington, I heard your speech today." "But you're a Junior," he said, "Why were you in the auditorium?"

"I know. But I heard the speech and I want you to know that speech was for me, Sir. You said they had greatness within them. Is there greatness within me, Sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Brown."

"But what about the fact that I failed English and math and history, and I'm going

to have to go to summer school. What about that, Sir? I'm slower than most kids. I'm not as smart as my brother or my sister who's going to the University of Miami."

"It doesn't matter. It just means that you have to work harder. Your grades don't

determine who you are or what you can produce in your life."

"I want to buy my mother a home."

"It's possible, Mr. Brown. You can do that."

As the teacher turned to walk away, Les said, "Mr. Washington?" "I'm the one, Sir. You remember me, remember my name. One day you're gonna hear it. I'm gonna make you proud. I'm the one, Sir."

Les Brown grew up to be a movie producer for public television. Mr. Washington called him after seeing his special "You Deserve" on the educational channel in Miami.

"May I speak to Mr. Brown, please?"

"Who's calling?"

"You know who's calling."

"Oh, Mr. Washington, it's you."

"You were the one, weren't you?"

"Yes, Sir, I was."

(Les Brown, "A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul" Editor: Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen )

The Eunuch was the one. Though church history records no missionary journey to Ethiopia, there has been a church there since the 1^st Century. Whom do you think carried the gospel there? Perhaps it was a high-level official who served the Queen.

Has God given you the spiritual gift of teaching? If so, use your gift to help us discover truth and help others become "the one."