Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so!
Little Ones to Him belong.
They are weak, but He is strong!
Since the devastating school shooting on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, CT, there have been some things posted online by Christians who I love that have chafed my soul. I feel compelled to write something about this one facet of this horrible tragedy.
My favorite author of faith-based fiction posted this as part of her comments on the shooting:
"We have asked God to leave our nation. We cannot be surprised at the result."
And then I saw a picture of a t-shirt that says this:
"Dear God, Why do you allow so much violence in our schools? Signed, A Concerned Student. . . Dear Concerned Student, I'm not allowed in schools ~God."
No, no, no, no, NO.
God is VERY MUCH in our schools. And we cannot sit mute and let the implication go unchallenged that because our nation has boundaries in place in regards to religion in public schools that this was somehow the reason for this horrendous event. We cannot accept the notion that God is not in our schools.
Please. . .
Don't tell my children that God does not go with them to school.
Don't tell my children that God does not go with them to school.
Don't tell their teachers that God does not go with them to work.
Don't tell the victims of this tragedy that we somehow deserved this.
And please, please don't paint that picture of God.
We cannot even begin to fully understand why this happened. I think even our best attempts at explaining this will fall woefully short. My motivation here is not to find a way to explain or understand why this happened. My mission instead, is to say this: We did not kick God out of our schools.
Teachers cannot preach or pray out loud or force students to pray. But God is alive and well and active and moving in our schools. In fact, every campus belongs to Him!
Teachers cannot preach or pray out loud or force students to pray. But God is alive and well and active and moving in our schools. In fact, every campus belongs to Him!
Psalm 24:1 says, "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it". Ev-er-y-thing. EVERYTHING. Up to and including our schools.
Personally, I often drop my kids off at their schools and pray not only over them, but the whole school and everyone in it. I often arrive early at pick-up time and sit in my car and read Scripture and pray for the school and the surrounding neighborhood. Please don't tell me that we have asked God to leave our schools.
Nationally, there are many Christian groups on campuses all around the country, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Campus Crusade for Christ, to name two. There is also a prayer group of moms who pray for schools, both public and private called Moms In Prayer. Their website is http://www.momsintouch.org/
Nationally, there are many Christian groups on campuses all around the country, such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Campus Crusade for Christ, to name two. There is also a prayer group of moms who pray for schools, both public and private called Moms In Prayer. Their website is http://www.momsintouch.org/
I asked some Christian educators that I know--in PUBLIC SCHOOLS mind you--what their thoughts are on this whole topic of not "allowing" God in our schools. I asked them where was God when they went to work? They gave me permission to share their words. Here is some of what they had to say:
"God IS and ALWAYS WILL BE in my heart and in soul. HE was welcomed in my every thought and deed as I worked with, cared for, and loved dearly all the children at [my school]! God IS in school ... God IS everywhere He is welcomed. There are MANY Christians working at [our school] who keep GOD IN SCHOOL no matter what non believers want to think. Just because prayer is not allowed in school doesn't mean that staff doesn't pray to God while at school and welcome HIM into their classrooms! ... there is no such thing as God not in the school system. For every Christian who walks onto a school's campus ... whether to visit, drop children off, or go to work ... GOD WALKS WITH THEM! HA, God is in our school system ... us Christians know that (smile)." ~Carol, School Librarian
Another educator writes:
"God definitely goes to school with me. In my toughest year BY FAR, I only make it through each day with His strength. . .God is not 'allowed' in the Middle East, but that doesn't mean He's not there. He's not 'allowed' in China, Korea, and a whole host of other countries, but He's still present. I get a monthly update from the Voice of the Martyrs showing me just how present He is.
And God may not be 'allowed' at school, but. . . when a student asks me to read a story, including a story from home, I can read it. So those new Berenstein Bear books? All have a Bible verse in them and teach an important Biblical life skill. Like forgiveness, being kind etc. Just today I had a student bring me a book of Christmas songs - most were secular but 2 weren't. And I got to read those. I also got to read them Here Comes Santa Claus - which includes the words 'Let's give thanks to the Lord above, for Santa Claus comes tonight.'
I also did a unit on Holidays around the world. We learned that in Italy Old Befana brings presents instead of Santa, and she brings them to young children because she's looking for the Christ child. We learned that in Mexico, all the children run together through the streets looking for a room for baby Jesus. Then they all walk together to the church and leave a gift for Jesus. We learned in Germany it is Christkind who leaves gifts and we also talked about the word Christmas. All of which I can relate to the California state standards.
I have only one student this year who goes to church. Every time she has an opportunity to sing, she sings a worship song. She is my peacemaker and will tell others that they need to forgive just like Jesus forgives us. I don't have to stop her and as long as I'm not the one bringing it up, I can add to what she is saying, answer questions for other students and steer the conversation in a positive light.
"And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20 (NLT)
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
"For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them." Matthew 18:20 (NIV)
"Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast." Psalm 139:7-10 (NIV)
"'Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the LORD. 'Do not I fill heaven and earth?' declares the LORD." Jeremiah 23:24 (NIV)
"The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3 (NIV)
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
To those who presume that this tragedy and ones like it have occurred because "we do not allow God in our schools", I ask, what about the Amish school shooting on October 2, 2006? Even then, what about church shootings? Where is God then? And once again, we cannot even begin to explain or understand the fullness of what was happening in these situations, but I strongly disagree with the idea that these things happened because we have somehow not "allowed" God to be there.
Obviously, I am a Christian. My husband and I chose to send our children to public schools and we made that choice on purpose and with purpose. I am glad there are options in education for all families so everyone can do what works best for their own children. I am not here to defend or debate choices in education. What I will say is that our own family value is that we are called to be salt and light in this world and we do not believe that can happen for us if we sequester ourselves from "the world". So we lead our kids in the love of the Lord and send them out and they bless many along the way. My kids have flourished in public schools in wisdom, knowledge, athletics and relationships. They have been loved well by amazing Christian women like Carol and Autumn who I quoted above, and many others. As a mom, I have had the privilege of coming on campus not only to drop off or pick up my kids, but to come into the classrooms and help and even tag along on a few field trips. I bring God with me every single time. And I can tell you--He's there. He was there whenever a child asked me about Him. It would just happen "out of the blue". And there He'd be. He was there whenever a little one would share some sad story from home where grown-ups were struggling. Oh, He was all over the place in those conversations. Jesus LOVES the little children! ALL the children of the world! He would never, ever forsake a single one of them. He walks the halls of their schools. He shows up in teachers, principals, librarians, monitors, custodians, lunch ladies, moms and dads, and most of all, in the kids.
Our country is far from perfect. Our schools are far from perfect. And yet. And yet. And yet. God is in our schools. He can be there because He is the Sovereign God, the King of the Universe as well as the King of many hearts. And he can be there in response to our prayers. No law in the land can take that away.
Let me close with these words:
"We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions"
~Ronald Reagan
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy, and spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover him with favor as a shield."
~Psalm 5:11-12 (ESV)
In His Love,
Kiki
P.S. There is a fantastic blog written by a man named Brant Hansen on this subject. I invite you to read what he wrote and even to go onto his Facebook page and see the comments that different people have left on this subject. http://www.air1.com/blog/brant/post/2012/12/16/Good-News-God-is-Still-Allowed-in-Public-Schools.aspx If you go and read the comments left by others you will find that there are many Christian educators (in public schools!) who carry and depend on the presence of God in their jobs every day.
