School Starts

Well, it’s that time again; school starts this week in our county. Summer has flown by it seems. My daughter enters her junior year.  Somehow time rocketed me from holding her in my arms as a baby and now riding with her as she learns to drive my car!

We have to prepare our kids for school and I am not just talking about composition books, pencils and backpacks. Little by little we see the right to free speech being given only to those who talk about things other than Christ. When my daughter began high school three years ago, I went to the orientation, as I will do tomorrow, to meet the teachers. In one classroom we entered there was a young lady teacher which had a computer monitor facing the line of parents waiting to talk with her. Her background picture was a scantily clad young man lying on a lounge chair in a provocative pose. Several parents were raising eyebrows and some just smiled. When I got to talk to her, I called her over to the other side of her desk away from the line not to make a scene. I asked her, “Ma’am, with all the issues we have had in this county with students being busted for sexting (sending sexy pictures over cell phones), do you think this picture is appropriate in this classroom?” She immediately apologized, “I did not do that, some student did that and I do not know how to fix it.” I said, “I know how to fix it and will be glad to change it for you.” She said, “Oh, no, I have called the school computer techs and they are coming to fix it.” I said, “Well, in the mean time I would turn the monitor off or at least away from the public eye if it were me.” So she turned it around.

Our kids are not allowed to wear tee shirts that reflect their faith in Christ and Christian teachers are not allowed to express their belief in Christ to students, but some teachers can express anything else they want with them apparently. One teacher made it a point to tell the kids last year he was an atheist and the state has no problem with that, but let one tell the kids they are Christian and the school board calls them on the carpet and lawsuits are threatened!

 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first,” Jesus said. You and I as Christians are being labeled as haters today by those who oppose us. I have no intention of trying to force my faith or belief upon anyone and I have no intention of compromising the Word of God in order to please them either. Each passing year brings new battles to the public arena against Christ and His followers and will continue to do so until He comes back. I remember some of the last words Jesus spoke while here; “I do not pray that You (Father) take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.” Pray for the teachers and the kids; Lord knows they need it.