School is starting again. I used to dread this time when I was a student. It was never that I hated school, I actually really enjoyed it, I just liked the freedom that summer provided more. I think that for a lot of students that is a down-side to schooling - the lack of freedom. And perhaps this year more than other parents are increasingly aware of a genuine lack of freedom that is growing in our school systems beyond the general lack of freedom whereas school is less free than my choices in summer.
This attack on freedom is happening on a number of fronts. I will not here talk about masks or responses to Covid as these issues (though related to freedom) as these fail to compare to the real issue - a philosophical movement (teaching that human freedom to be whomever the individual thinks they are) is attacking freedom. Interesting it is that in a desire to teach the freedom of individuals is actually restricting freedom. It is restricting free speech. They tried to make it much harder to speak religiously in the context of a public school, but if the religious speech is agnostic or atheistic and humanistic philosophy it is not only allowed but being promoted by students and by teachers and by administrators. It is restricting freedom of belief as some belief systems are marginalized because of a perceived marginalization of groups in the past. It is restricting a balanced look at history and instead rewriting and redefining history through the lens of the value system of the present culture. It is in these ways and many more, restrictive. So with this kind of attack, how do we as Christians respond?
1. Biblically. We respond by holding fast the the truth of God's Word.
2. Prayerfully. We ask God to do what only God can do - change hearts and minds.
3. Trustfully. We trust that God is on the throne and will bring about His purposes. The way that things seem does not mean that they are as bad as we might think they are.
4. In True Freedom. Understanding that true freedom is not freedom as our world or our country has defined it. True freedom is the freedom to love our enemy and do good to those who would harm us. True freedom is the freedom to act like Christ when the world is acting like the world. True freedom is found in Jesus and in Jesus alone. And so we preach and teach and hold fast to the Source of true freedom. We cling to Jesus.
In case you need a reminder - pray for the students and teachers who go to our schools who cling to the true freedom they have in Christ. The school is becoming a place of increasing attack on Christians. So pray that they would have courage and be equipped with the armor of God to stand firm against the attacks of the devil.
