As we begin the school year, I’m reminded of the hymn “Praise the Source of Faith and Learning” by Thomas H. Troeger. The final verse is an apt prayer that we might regard faith and learning as complementary, not oppositional.

As two currents in a river
fight each other’s undertow
till converging they deliver
one coherent steady flow,
blend, O God, our faith and learning
till they care a single course,
till they join as one, returning
praise and thanks you, their Source [1]

I regret that I can’t quote the entire hymn here (due to copyright), but it can be found as number 2004 in The Faith We Sing.

[1] Thomas H. Troeger, “Praise the Source of Faith and Learning,” in The Faith We Sing (Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2000), 2004.