Tuesday, September 1, 2020

school year & a creed

 Chalked onto the concrete ramp that leads to our house is the following creed:


WE BELIEVE

  • Every person reflects the IMAGE of God
  • Every person is valuable
  • Every human system has flaws
  • Every person can find hope in Jesus Christ
  • Every person is a sinner
  • It's not our place to judge you
  • Every heart can change
  • If we stay silent, God will still be praised
  • You are welcome here

It's been quite a summer. Conflict wracks our nation. Sin continues to be unveiled in our own lives, our Church, our family. We struggle to know what to say as people of color continue to be publicly and disproportionately killed by the twin evils of COVID-19 and police brutality. We're slack-jawed by loved ones supporting a brazen appropriation of scripture by the standing Vice President. We know that the world is broken and we can't stop seeing it.

This week, a stranger walked into our neighborhood. She asked if we had any snacks, so I put together a bag of school food that a neighbor had given us. She started to walk down the street. I yelled a dinner invitation (without checking with Beau) and she joined us for one of the weirder dinner parties of the year. I'm not sharing this to brag about our neighborliness. We've never done anything like this before, even though we've talked ad nauseum about how to turn dinner into missional opportunities.

I think we are called to do stuff like have drifters over for dinner. It's not crazy in the Bible. It happens multiple times. It was only awkward because that's not how middle-class Christians, like us, do everyday life.

I think following Jesus' example leads us to do super-uncomfortable, societally awkward things. 

That brings me to this school year. It's already challenging. The blatant inequality of remote learning has not changed in the last 5 months. If anything, it's worse in some areas of our specific community. I'm pouring myself out like a drink offering, as an educator and friend. I'm weeping in prayer for the children who are unseen, unsafe, and undervalued in our society. I'm doing my best to show grace and patience to the frustrations and ignorance of the commentators.

So, that's where I'm landing this tonight:
Whether or not you agree with our family's creed, could you be kind this school year?
Could you be slow to judge?
Could you recognize systems are flawed?
Could you be welcoming instead of divisive?

And maybe, could you stop saying awful things about schools on the internet?

2 comments:

  1. Kristine BoydstunSeptember 1, 2020 at 7:22 PM

    I will pray for our students and all the teachers. I will be kind and post things that promote grace and understanding. Also, if you message me specific prayer needs, I will lift them up each morning. I am committing each morning to pray for our schools, kids, teachers, parents, admin, etc. I would love to be able to be specific in my prayers. God is with us.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just Us - The CarlsonsSeptember 1, 2020 at 10:55 PM

    ❤️

    ReplyDelete

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Ephesians 5

Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. But among you there must not be either sexual immorality, impurity of any kind, or greed, as these are not fitting for the saints. Neither should there be vulgar speech, foolish talk, or coarse jesting – all of which are out of character – but rather thanksgiving. For you can be confident of this one thing: that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light – for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth – and find out what pleases the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:

“Awake, O sleeper!

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!”

Therefore be very careful how you live – not as unwise but as wise, taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the Lord’s will is. And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord, because the husband is the head of the wife as also Christ is the head of the church – he himself being the savior of the body. But as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, so that he may present the church to himself as glorious – not having a stain or wrinkle, or any such blemish, but holy and blameless. In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is great – but I am actually speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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