I have just finished a fascinating book written by Steven Garber called, The Fabric of Faithfulness:  Weaving Together Belief and Behavior.  The theme of the book, as can be seen in the title, is the necessity of connecting the “belief” to the “behavior” of a young person – most notably in this book referring to college students – so that they will live fully integrated lives.  As the father of two college-aged sons, I found Mr. Garber’s arguments to be spot on.  But, as a 3K-12th grade administrator, I read every page wondering what applications could be made even earlier than college.  While there were many, and I promise not to list them all here, one really stood out to me that was further solidified last weekend.  Allow me to share the truth and then the example.

In Chapter 6 titled Masters, Mentors and Moral Meaning, Mr. Garber describes a particular man as a teacher with a deep vocational vision and who is excellent in his work.  Here’s what Mr. Garber says about him,

“Simply said, he wants to walk along with students in the task of learning.  His wide reading in history and his theological and philosophical reflection have persuaded him that the best education is done where there is more accountability built into the relationship between faculty and student; something more like the master/apprentice relationship than the lecturer/audience setting which characterizes much of contemporary higher education.” (pp. 139-140)

As an administrator, I couldn’t agree more, and would add that this is necessary for the younger learners as well.  Students need to be close enough to their teachers to observe them live out their world views.  In a Christian school, this means that students need to watch their teachers walk in the truth so that they can learn how to do it themselves.  For this to happen, though, students need to see teachers outside of their classrooms – and I don’t just mean that awkward moment when a student sees her teacher in the grocery store and is surprised that teachers actually shop for food (happens more than you think…).  Much of this burden for teachers to live lives alongside their students falls to the teachers.  We need to go to where they are.  This means invading their space in the lunchroom or on a field trip once in a while.  It means going to see them in the school play, concerts, and games.  And, it means taking the time to hang around after those events to just be there with a congratulatory handshake/hug.  It takes time.  But, WOW is it worth it!!!

Last weekend, a handful of young ladies from WCCS traveled to Columbia to play in a volleyball tournament.  There are seven of them, five 9th graders, one 8th, and one 7th.  They have played together as a team all winter and have spent quite a few long Saturdays competing together.  Well, I am not sure how it happened, but the girls must have been talking about it in school in the hearing of Mr. Luke Fain, our student teacher from CIU working with Mr. Krueger this spring.  As it turns out, he has an affinity for volleyball and must have asked for details about the tournament.  And then, like that excellent teacher mentioned above who knows that learning takes place in relationship, he showed up to cheer on the girls.  And so did Miss Kim Benoit, who was a student teacher from CIU last year with Mr. Aylestock, and had taught many of the same girls.  They cheered on our girls for a couple matches – giving up several precious Saturday afternoon hours.  But, it “worked!”  They cheered – and cheered loudly!  And, in between games, the girls rushed to spend the time with these teachers who were living out their callings just by being there.  It was simply amazing for me to watch – and was a great blessing.  I was reminded of a few teachers that I had in my earlier years who took time to be with me.  As I was sitting there watching along with one of my college sons who was there to watch his sister play on his spring break, it also made me very glad that my college-aged sons have adults pouring into their lives.  And, it made me especially thankful for the teachers at WCCS – including the student teachers – who do the same with OUR kids every day, including Saturdays!

Oh the blessings of a smaller learning environment – especially where Christ is the center and walking in the truth is the goal!

 

 

My favorite Scripture passage is 3 John 4 that says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”  Most Christian parents that I talk to would quickly nod in agreement with this verse and the message contained.  They would ascent to the joy they experience when their kids do “walk in the truth.”  But, if they were honest, they would also hesitate, at least for a moment, to be sure that our definitions of “walking in the truth” were the same.  The problem, however, is that we need to look beyond our own definitions to see how the Scriptures define this concept.

I was greatly blessed this week when I met up with an old friend and mentor for lunch.  This man has done more to shape my beliefs and my own “walk” than he is even aware.  It was during our time together that we were talking about the school and the theme verse for the year when he reminded me that the theme of I John (chapter 3 and 4 in particular) define living “in the truth” as “loving our brother.”  It was a quick comment in the midst of a lengthy conversation, but it stuck with me – so much so that I emailed him afterward to have him reiterate that comment to be sure I heard him just right.  Then, as I thought more about it, I was struck by the fact that the actual times in my own children’s’ lives where I did experience that greatest joy was when they loved another well.  Experientially, in my own world, this fit.  But, again, we cannot set the standard.  So, I opened my Bible to 1 John 3-4 and here is what I found:

1Jn 3:11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1Jn 3:16-19 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. (17) But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? (18) Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (19) By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;

1Jn 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1Jn 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

1Jn 4:19-21 We love because he first loved us. (20) If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (21) And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

My friend was right!  The same author (John) who wrote 3 John 4 really did define what it meant in another letter (I John).  A paraphrase of my favorite verse, then, would be…

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children love others (including one another, their brothers, and, as clarified in other passages, their neighbors).” 

What a great challenge…  It is not enough to simply do what is right in an effort at personal obedience.  We must go beyond ourselves and love others – especially those that would be hardest to love!  My prayer is that we, as parents, would have no greater joy than to see our children love well!  And, if we really expect to see this in them, we need to do it first!

This post is entitled, “How do we know if we are walking in the truth?”  The answer is that we are doing so when our actions match the truths of Scripture.   You may have noticed that I have talked about what “walking in the truth” means from a Biblical perspective, but haven’t given any specific examples – intentionally.  It is my hope to have YOU fill in the examples that you have seen personally where you were joyful watching another walk in the truth by loving another well.   Would you please add to my joy (and the joy of the rest of our readers) and “LEAVE A REPLY” to this post below with an example of your own?