Bringing the Word to School

As believers in Christ, we can be equipped to shine His light and share His truth - He will strategically place us in situations so that His Kingdom plan might be carried out.  2nd Corinthians 2
states:
14 Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.
15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.

There is great power that is disseminated as we use the resources that God has given us and rely on His strength to carry out His mission.  We have the presence of Jesus, the light of the world, who tells us to go into that world and to allow Him to shine through us.  We can be committed to living out His truth, so that our actions demonstrate that we know Him and are devoted to following Him.  His presence in the life of a believer can be readily seen if we are walking according to His ways.

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Truth, God's truth, brings light, and as we take our roles as carriers or dispensers of that truth, seriously, we can bring the presence of Christ into the places to which He has called us.  2nd
Corinthians 4 says:
6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

There's another survey that has been released containing information that is relevant for the start of the school year. It's called the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools, conducted by PDK.  ChristianHeadlines.com offers a summary.

Here is some good news from the survey about faith in the school setting:

Thirty-seven percent of all public school teachers are evangelical Christians, according to the poll. That figure mostly matches the percentage of the public (36 percent) that is evangelical Christian.

That means that 63% are not. And, the summary goes on to state:

But on ideology, public school teachers are slightly more liberal than the general public. Forty percent of teachers call themselves “liberal,” compared to 28 percent of the public. Twenty-eight percent of teachers and 34 percent of the public are conservatives. Thirty-one percent of teachers and 34 percent of the public are moderates.

In society at large, the majority accepts the concept of Bible classes in schools. The survey found that 64 percent of adults "favor Bible classes in school, with 58 percent saying such classes should be an elective and 6 percent saying the classes should be required."

And, almost 4-in-10, according to the story "express concern that Bible studies classes 'may improperly promote Judeo-Christian religious beliefs...'"  Only 28% of evangelicals share that concern. I have concerns, as well, such as: Who's teaching the Bible classes?  What is their worldview?  

The Christian Headlines story relates that, "Among teachers, 58 percent support teaching the Bible either as an elective or as a required class."

The poll, according to its report on the polling company's website, contained a section on classes on comparative religions.  The survey summary says that: "About one-quarter of adults and parents overall express concerns that comparative religion classes might lead students to question their family’s faith or to change their religious beliefs." A lower percentage of teachers - around 1 out of 7 - expressed similar concerns.  34% of evangelical Christian parents, said, according to the summary, that they "are concerned these classes could lead to students questioning their family’s faith, and 33% saying they could lead students to change their religious beliefs."

As we consider this week's survey, we can remember the teachers, administrators, and students shining Christ's light in schools all across America.  We can recognize that we all are placed in situations in which we can exhibit Christian character.

The organizations Christian Educators Association International and Teach 4 the Heart have teamed
up for a special Rise Up Christian Educators’ Virtual Summit on Friday and Saturday, September 6 and 7. A press release states: "Christian educators are invited to attend a free online conference to encourage and equip them to rise up out of frustration and into greater kingdom impact in their schools." J.P. Moreland and William Jeynes will be the lead presenters. Topics such as combating anxiety, the impact of Biblical literacy and family on educational achievement, and other practical topics. Learn more at christianeducatorssummit.com.

This data can also show us that there is a desire to know more about the Word of God.  I think that is a positive trend.  The upside, obviously, is the recognition of the importance of Biblical truth.  The downside: when you consider so-called "Bible" classes, you do have to wonder who's doing the teaching?   In our lives personally, we can be discerning with respect to whom we allow to teach us. We can make sure that we are exposing ourselves to teaching that is consistent with the Word of God, which means we have to study ourselves.

Finally, there is a place for learning about other religions, which can lead us to relish in the superiority of the gospel; I think it can be highly instructive to study other religions, and we should know what others believe, but we can also be prepared to give a defense for our Christian beliefs.