6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Jesus will meet the needs of our hearts, and He has placed on us a responsibility to demonstrate to the world how our needs have been met. We can have tangible fruit from our lives and lips that shows that Jesus resides in us, and we can depend on Him to open up divine appointments, through which we can share the love and life of Jesus. Our satisfaction in Him can be a powerful and contagious force that can deeply impact lives.
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We are called to share the hope of the world, the Lord Jesus, who satisfies our spiritual hunger and
thirst. In John chapter 6, we read:
27 Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."
28 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?"
29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
It began with some parents of high school students in Middleton, Wisconsin, who wished to provide food for their kids at school - along with some spiritual nourishment in the form of Bible study. What has come to be known as the "Jesus Lunch" has grown from less than 40 students to 10 times that amount - about a fourth of the student body, according to the Christian Examiner website. The gathering grew so large that it was moved to Fireman's Park, adjacent to the school. It meets on a weekly basis.
Now, the school wants to shut it down.
Recently, Middleton High School Principal Steve Plank and Middleton-Cross Plains District Administrator Don Johnson sent a letter to the parents claiming the lunchtime religious discussion is a violation of school policy on numerous levels, among them the use of school facilities for a religious club during school hours, the presence of unauthorized visitors to the campus, and food safety regulations.
The parents have retained an attorney, Phillip Stamman, who told local television station WKOW, "Just because a public entity leases to a private organization or a private citizen, that public park does not become a private entity, so the First Amendment Right still applies."
And, a follow-up Christian Examiner story reports that this past Tuesday, protestors showed up, with students calling for "separation of church and state" and shouts of protest about white Christians being divisive at the school. The students who protested, the Wisconsin State Journal claimed, were supported by the atheist Freedom from Religion Foundation. FFRF also offered some sweets to students.
FFRF said it was invited to the gathering by a student at the school who claims to be Christian, but who reportedly feels like the event violates the Constitution. According to FFRF, the organizers of the "Jesus Lunch" provide lunch, hand out Bibles and engage in proselytization, "all contrary to the wishes" of the district.
WND points out that students at the school may even go to eat at local dining establishments. But to go to a public park where they may be exposed to religion is not OK? The WND report said that the superintendent tried to block the students and parents from entering the park. And, police were brought in, but their stated intent was to keep the peace and allow people to exercise their First Amendment rights.
Based on a discussion with Middleton's city administrator, the Christian Examiner contends that, "the question remains open as to whether the district (a government entity) can legally restrict free speech and religious liberty on the grounds of a taxpayer-funded public park when the event is organized by students on their own lunch hour."
I think there is room for an agreement here, but it seems the principal and superintendent are intentionally fanning the flames. The event seems to be popular, I don't see any evidence that the parents or students are trying to restrict attendance demographically, or even based on religion - it's a public gathering. So, what's the problem? It seems that this "free lunch" has come at a weighty cost.
Could be that you have school officials who have become so intimidated by those 5 little words by Thomas Jefferson, "separation of church and state," that anything that appears to be religious and could attract a lawsuit or even a bit of bluster from the neighborhood atheist bullies causes them to take unconstitutional action. This incident reminds us that a right rendering of the phrase implies that religious people should be free to assemble or live out their faith without the heavy hand of government trying to shut it down. And, of course, there should be no state church, which apparently was Jefferson's point.
Yes, there should be a "wall of separation" - between overzealous officials who take advantage of Christian people and attempt to restrict their freedom of speech and freedom to assemble.
A "wall of separation" - between believers who want to act on their Christian principles and a government that would want to discriminate against them by forcing them to make decisions that would be contrary to their deeply-held beliefs.
A "wall of separation" between officials who are trying to protect the rights of all their citizens and corporate leaders who threaten officials who do not buy in to their intolerant agenda.
But, constitutionally, where there should be a proper wall of separation, we also recognize that there should be no separation between those who profess Christ and those who need to hear His truth and observe His love. We are called to live in a manner that is distinct from the world, sure, but we are never to live our lives in a bubble where our faith is not easily observable. The "Jesus Lunch" grew because parents wanted to nourish their kids physically and spiritually - and the students spread the word and invited their friends. Isn't that the way the gospel is supposed to work...come and find the bread of life - here, with us?
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