By: Kim Miller - Director of Curriculum
“Scripture drives, for us, an agenda. It tells us what to think. It tells us what’s right and wrong. It tells us what to believe. It tells us to love God and love our neighbors. The Scripture gives us an agenda.” (John Stonestreet)
The hard part, though, is that this agenda has to be lived out in the USA, 2020. The context is our culture. That’s where we live. That’s what we do. That’s where our family and friends are. That’s where our responsibilities are. And really, when we think about it, how many of those things are actually talked about in the Bible? To what TV show should I say “no” for my twelve-year–old? How many after-school activities are right for my eight-year-old? Should my teenager join that traveling team? When do I pull the plug on technology? Should I move three states away for that job? What’s the best way to manage a surprise bonus? And think of all the things the Bible talks about that aren’t part of today’s daily life.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever wondered whether I’d be swallowed by a big fish while on a canoe trip. Or awakened by a noise in the night thinking “Oh, no! The Philistines are here!” The Bible has great advice on how to handle a Philistine invasion, but that may not help me navigate today. Today I turned on the TV and watched about the news about the spread of the Corona virus. I saw the news about a shooting. I woke up to a noise that was really my heart pounding, worried about . . .
So, how do we intertwine the Truths of Scripture and the realities of our culture? And how do we teach that to our children?
First, we must face our culture with questions. Rather than just moving through our daily activities or accepting “that’s just the way things are,” we face the events of the day with questions that turn us toward God’s Word. Secondly, we need to believe and live like one of these – the Bible or the culture – has authority over our lives. One of these must dominate our thinking. One must drive our actions, or put the brakes on them.
James 1:22, 25 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”
Learning the Word of God is paramount. We also need to recognize what’s happening in culture, label it, and admit that culture has attraction. Then we need to first think Biblically about those cultural realities and finally act on those thoughts. Even when it costs us. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it makes us the “odd man out.”
That’s why the partnership between MCS families and the school is so important. Together we support each other in teaching children and teens the Word of God. We teach students to think and understand from a Biblical point of view, and give them home, church, and school environments where they learn to act on those thoughts. Depending on each other. Praying for each other. Supporting each other.
At MCS, we’ll ask some questions about current events and discover Biblical thought about them. We’ll discuss what it is to think Biblically about math and English and why it matters. We’ll be prepared when our children are questioning. They’ll be prepared when culture is challenging. And maybe we’ll all be prepared if we look out the door . . . and see the Philistines coming.