We usually get more questions than we have time for during our weekend service Q&As. We periodically follow up with responses in our Q&A Extras.
To stay aware of God more, should we only listen to Christian music, send our kids to private Christian schools, and read Christian books?
Staying aware of God does not require us to cocoon ourselves in a Christian world. I’m reminded of the story of Paul in Acts 17 (I’ll paraphrase because it’s a lengthy piece of scripture). Paul traveled to Athens, and he was concerned because there were many idols (statues of other gods) in the city. He spent some time there preaching and teaching about Jesus and the Resurrection. After some time, he was invited to talk at a forum. At this forum, he pointed to an altar labeled “To an unknown god”, and he proceeded to tell them about God. Some of them listened, and some of them sneered at him. There are two things we want to say in response to this question.
The first is that we need a place where we can regularly connect with God. Oftentimes, this is a private prayer time where Christian music is played. Sometimes it is in Christian books that are read or taught in Christian schools. It can even be found simply watching the sun set on the horizon. Even Jesus needed a “God timeout” from time to time, where he would disconnect from the world and find rest and peace in God. But we have a duty to find God wherever he is, and he’s not just in Christian music, schools, and books, which leads us to the second point.
We need to be ambassadors to this world. Ambassadors travel to another country, and they represent their home country. They learn the culture by partaking in the food, talking to the people, and understanding the celebrations and life of the local people. We are ambassadors of the Kingdom who are sent to the world. We are supposed to learn all we can about this world, and also represent the Kingdom in everything we do. There are limitations to what we should do. We shouldn’t pollute our minds and hearts, nor should we lose sight of the purpose with which we are called to this world: to spread the Gospel in what we do and say. But we can’t lock ourselves away from this world in which we’re called to be ambassadors.
Paul would never have been given an opportunity to present the gospel in Athens if he had simply sat around with his Christian friends. If we only partake in the Kingdom things that we have, we will fail in our mission as ambassadors to this world. There is no wisdom in being aware of God but not using it to reach the world. We need to understand the culture around us, and once we understand it, we should seek to show the world the Kingdom of God in ways that make sense to those around us.
In Luke 8:16, Jesus says “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.” The Kingdom of God was meant to be seen by the world. To get “full” of God, you can use Christian music, books, and schools. But when you get “full”, turn that fullness towards the world and spread the Kingdom. Bless the world around you out of the fullness that God brings to you.
2 comments
Dave Wilcox October 14, 2012
This question seems to only have the context of the US and Canada in mind, but even here, never say never. As Greg said recently in his movie trailer for ‘Hellbound’, if your paradigm doesn’t allow you to ask questions, there is a problem.
Don’t assume the right place for a 5th grader or a 9th grader is to be a missionary in a hostile context. Don’t assume the teacher of today is supportive of your family’s belief rather than coercively undermining your child’s developing faith. (Things have changed since you were a kid.)
I live in a place where most of the plants, shrubs, and trees in the city were started in a plant nursery. They bless the community after having a strong beginning. So did Todd Beamer (Wheaton Christian H.S. grad.) on 9/11.
More and more of the Christian schools in this country (USA) are evangelistic in nature, not solely serving their own theological tribe. Some are still closed to families without at least one believing parent – wanting a parent/school partnership based on common values.
Internationally, I routinely encounter Christian schools that have been established to be a blessing to their community because what the government has established is woefully inadequate – or hostile to our faith. Open enrolment Christian schools around the world abound (Mennonite schools in Palestine, Baptist schools in Haiti, Assembly of God schools in Cambodia.)
More kids attend faith-based schools in Haiti than government schools, and they are that nation’s only hope. (Their teachers actually show up to work!) Many of those schools are weak and under resourced, but they are usually the best option for most kids, regardless of faith. The faith community has realized that to meet the real felt needs of their community, they need to offer an alternative. Korea (South) was evangelized through Christian school and university “planting” – not church planting. The missionaries earned their credibility by offering quality education that was also disciple producing.
In Indonesia, I work with 230 Christian schools. Almost all have open enrolment. A dissertation done there concluded that the place Christians might have the most authentic influence between faith groups is in that nation’sCristian schools. I could mention some exciting things in China, but this isn’t the place.
Ever hear of the 4-14 Movement in missions? It has sort of replace the 10-40 window discusion. 4-14 refers to the range of age when most faith decisions are made. Where are those kids? – in schools. Let’s reach kids, and their families, by offering the best education possible, daily demonstrating what it means to live like Jesus, and love like Jesus in all aspects of life.
I worked 13 years in Christian international schools in Ecuador and Malaysia. They were open enrolment schools where we had MKs, international business family kids, diplomatic kids, and kids from the host country. Our Christian kids needed to live the faith before their peers and were not ‘cocooned’, but the context ensured that faith based answers were not ridiculed or dismissed as in appropriate or irrelevant.
All this to offer that your presentation actually does not represent Christian schooling in most of the world, where we are daily seeing the Kingdom expanded and Christians prepared to serve God by equipping them to live like Jesus, so that His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Never say never. The context of where you live and the options before you may lead you to the conclusion that the best way to equip and nurture my child is in a faith-based school. It is about Jesus and His Kingdom.
David Wilcox, ACSI – Global Office
Andrew Langbehn November 19, 2012
Hey Dave!
Thanks for taking the time to respond to this important question. Your experience with ACSI lends a great perspective on this issue, and I’m glad you commented.
I just wanted to clarify some things. I wasn’t trying to say that children shouldn’t attend Christian schools. Rather, I was trying to answer the question by saying that we shouldn’t only interact with Christian music, schools, and books. Attending a Christian school can be a great way to equip a child, as you show with examples in Korea, Indonesia and Haiti. Never would I say that Christian schools shouldn’t be attended. But I did say that we should reach beyond the borders of the school, which I think you would agree with by citing many examples of the evangelistic nature of some of these schools. Sorry if you thought I was saying we should send all our kids to public school because Christian schools are full of self-serving people–that was not my message. My message was “The Kingdom of God was meant to be seen by the world. To get ‘full’ of God, you can use Christian music, books, and schools. But when you get ‘full’, turn that fullness towards the world and spread the Kingdom. Bless the world around you out of the fullness that God brings to you.” I’m sure many Christian schools would agree with that message.
Blessings to you as you continue to expand Christian education around the world. Our prayers are certainly with your efforts.