Saturday, October 10, 2020
Work in progress
Wait I fixed something...
Walking in the park
Going my own way
The dogs they bark
The children play
For a moment
Our worlds collide
Then they drift away
A walk in the park
On this sunny day
Sometimes my life
Seems so so big
But now it’s small
I take a breath
I’m just a part
A part of it all
Our worlds collide
Then they drift away
A walk in the park
On a sunny day
A couple holding hands
A leaf blows past my face
Butterflies dance
I drink in this grace
It’s only happenstance
To find myself in this place
To be caught up in life’s dance
Come together, pull apart
Round and round
We are all part
Our worlds collide
Then they drift away
A walk in the park
On a sunny day
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Veil Lifted
The greatest compliment I think I’ve ever been given came from my dear friend, Mike, about a month ago. He’s known me since we were kids and we have some of the best and deepest conversations. In the midst of once such conversation, I said something about my innate need to seek knowledge. He said, “No, you are driven to UNDERSTAND.”
It’s funny how if you forget you have sunglasses on, the glare of a hot sun doesn’t bother you as it beats off the pavement or sends powerful glares off cars that speed by. Take off those glasses as you ride down the highway on a bright, sunny day and the first thing you do is squint..why? Because the light is bright and your eyes aren’t adjusted. The glare off a passing window hurts when the beams of light accost your eyes. Remove those shades and the comfort fades away, you find that you see and experience things that you were oblivious to behind the comfort of the tinted plastic lenses.
Over the past few years since Pat passed away, the veil over my eyes has been removed in many ways -- and I’m thankful, truly thankful. When I look back on views I held, news bits and memes that I shared a few years ago, I’m ashamed at my ignorance and humbled by my arrogance. I once believed things like if you were a Christian you practically “had’ to be a Republican and that saying “all lives matter” was an absolute appropriate response to “black lives matter.” I balked at the idea of white privilege, although having lived in the South I definitely had more understanding of the concept and didn’t believe it did not exist. Nope, I just questioned whether I had any of it.
Months ago, my brother - a liberal - messaged me out of the blue and began berating me on how could I support Trump given X, Y and Z. First, I was stunned by his anger because I’ve not been a big “Woo-hoo, Go Trump!” person. My first reaction was , “What the heck?” and the attack frustrated me. In the midst of it he was asking “How can a professing Christian tolerate these things?” That caught my attention. I had already seen very clearly the effect that was produced on unbelievers by “Christians” loudly ranting about their “rights” and not wearing masks. When those on the outside see that what you are saying/supporting is in opposition of what you are professing to believe, there’s a problem, Houston. I realized that his anger came from confusion - how could I say “A” and seem to condone “B”? By the way - I'm thankful to him for this conversation. God blessed me in ways I could understand at that moment.
When explaining my stance to him, I said that I’ve accepted the things Trump did that I felt were good and possibly ignored the things about his personality that I didn’t like. I heard about his nastiness on Twitter but as long as he was mainly doing what I thought was good, I didn’t pay much attention and attributed it to his abrasive personality that I “didn’t have to like if he was getting the job done.” . He said this to me near the end of our conversation, “Your whole defense of Trump now is that anything other than a bend-over backwards generous interpretation of his words, with nothing worth of blame unless it is spelled out in exact literal words, is absurd. Interpretation and applying context are absolutely necessary parts of communication and not “mind reading.” And you would never argue otherwise, unless it’s necessary to defend what you want to defend.” Now, above all else, as Mike said, I strive to understand. Why was I not trying to understand where my brother was coming from and what he was seeing? I prayed that God would help me to see this, to understand, that He would give me wisdom.
And the veil lifted. It was like being hit with a tsunami. I’d already been watching the hateful things - and the very blind things, being shared on the left and suddenly I could clearly see the hateful things and the very blind things being shared on the right. I was already in a bit of shock over the rage/anger of anti-mask Christians focusing on perceived personal rights. “The wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God.” It lessened the blow as I saw the things my brother saw coming from right-wing Christians. So much wrath on both sides. Armed with misinformation, distrust and a “stick with the party line” mentality, both sides have created a war zone. I find myself in the middle, caught in the crossfire but seeing the need to STOP. LISTEN. LEARN. CHANGE.
Today, I was told something I’ve been told a lot lately, “I don’t know who you are anymore.” That’s okay, because now I understand better than ever who I really am and who I am supposed to be. I’m a Christian, a Christ follower. I think that aligning myself with a political party made me forget that or not fully grasp its meaning. Yes, I’m an American and so proud and so grateful to have been born into this land… but I’m a Christ follower FIRST. What I believe and support politically has to be in line with His Word and not the other way around. I can’t try to build my theology around a party platform. Facebook “memories” have come back to haunt me and showed me how clearly I was doing that and I repent. The steps of the righteous man are ordered by God, not by political affiliation. My walk with Jesus and my obedience to His Word is more important to me than any social acceptance that groupthink would give me. .
As Mike said, I’m one who seeks to understand. This means I want to know facts. I will research. The veil has been lifted, the sunglasses removed - I won’t just accept the party line on racism and Black Lives Matter when Jesus tells me to love my neighbor and esteem their needs more highly than my own. I won’t accept the party line when it comes to COVID-19 and all the many facets of *that* crisis. When I see abject falsehood and lies, I’m likely to share wherein the deception is found. My continual prayer is that the Lord will help me line up my stances with His Word and His heart.
One thing I need to get better at is praying for those that are currently blowing my mind with the lack of empathy for the dead, sick, injured or oppressed. It’s way too easy to fall into a different kind of separation, one that is not related to “be holy as I am holy,” or “come out from among them and be separate.” I don’t want to allow the middle to turn into a new clique where we look down our noses at those on the outside. The middle needs to be a place of where we take the time to understand,where there is discourse, where first we care, we listen and we talk, and then we work together.
And so, to the many people who say, “Who are you? I don’t recognize the person you," or "I'm surprised at your position." I’m really not different. Since early 1984 Jesus has always come first for me; I just didn't realize yet how I was trying to conform Him rather than be transformed. The same girl that tried to understand 45 years ago is the one who wants to understand and do better now.
Saturday, June 20, 2020
Racial Injustice and you...
Racial injustice.Watch Phil Vischer’s video, PLEASE.(I’ll include it again in the comments). I’m seeing many comments/posts where people say, “I’m not a racist; this is division caused by the media. I’m not apologizing to anyone.I don’t see racism where I live.” If you are not a racist, are you an American citizen? If you are, you should believe in liberty and justice for ALL. If you are not a racist, are you a Christian believer? If you are, then you should want to show you are His disciple by your LOVE. No one is asking you to apologize -- it is wonderful if you do not engage in bigotry, but it is not enough. We have an obligation to our fellow man to CARE.
Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. When a Israelite traveler was beaten, robbed and left for dead, the priest -a respected man in his community - saw him and walked to the other side of the street. The injured man wasn’t his problem; he didn’t beat him. Pfft, and the last thing he wanted to do was become ceremonially unclean and screw up his plans. The Levite, also a respected member of his society, also passed by seeing the injured man dying on the roadside. He, too,left him there. A third man then happened upon the fallen traveler. This man was a Samaritan, he was hated by the Israelites and yet when he saw this man with his injuries left for dead on the roadside, he took compassion on him. He cleansed his wounds with oil and wine, but him on his own donkey and brought him to an inn. There he paid the innkeeper to tend to him until he returned, promising to pay whatever further costs were accrued.
When Jesus was through telling this story, he turned to the man, an expert in the law, with whom He was engaged in conversation and asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Did you read that? GO AND DO LIKEWISE. Sorry, we don’t get a free pass to cross to the other side of the street and pretend our neighbors are not being oppressed. We don’t get to be respected and comfortable in our lives. We are commissioned by our Savior to DO SOMETHING. How about instead of complaining - listen. Instead of absolving yourself, educate yourself at the how/why/what of the matter. Instead of blaming it on the media, perhaps turn off the TV and spend some quality time exploring ways you can make a difference. You may not have caused the wounds, but like the Good Samaritan you can bandage them and become part of the healing process.
When Jesus was through telling this story, he turned to the man, an expert in the law, with whom He was engaged in conversation and asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Did you read that? GO AND DO LIKEWISE. Sorry, we don’t get a free pass to cross to the other side of the street and pretend our neighbors are not being oppressed. We don’t get to be respected and comfortable in our lives. We are commissioned by our Savior to DO SOMETHING. How about instead of complaining - listen. Instead of absolving yourself, educate yourself at the how/why/what of the matter. Instead of blaming it on the media, perhaps turn off the TV and spend some quality time exploring ways you can make a difference. You may not have caused the wounds, but like the Good Samaritan you can bandage them and become part of the healing process.
Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!”
Zechariah 7:9 “This is what the LORD Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another.”
Matthew 25:40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Friday, May 22, 2020
What does your letter say?
For all of us Christians, do you ever ask yourself who am I? What is your identity? If you ask yourself who you are, what first comes to mind? Think on that for a minute. Does redeemed child of God come first or is it somewhere after things like, “Teacher, Mechanic, Republican, Patriot, mother, father, friend, artist, poet….” Or is Believer first? If it is not, then think about why bondservant of Christ is not #1. Where is your treasure? Where your treasure is, there, indeed, is your heart. Jesus said we are to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, and ALL your strength. Do you see that in yourself? Are the other things in line with Christ-follower? 2 Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.’ We need to examine ourselves often and, yes, it is very uncomfortable and even terribly painful at times. You know that speck in our own eye that we need to look at? Find it. (I guarantee you, God will work on you and you’ll find another and another. I feel like I’m layered like an onion. One layer comes off and reveals another new sin God wants me to see and repent of ).
Move on to the next question: John 14:15 says, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” What did Jesus say was the greatest commandment? Look in the paragraph above - love Him with your ALL because He is your ALL in ALL. What’s the second? To love your neighbor as yourself. Ephesians 5:29 states that, “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church.” We should be loving others as Christ loved us - sacrificially, Ouch. That’s hard. And yet, this is the mark of a Believer. In John 13:35, Jesus tells us, ““By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Look at verse 34 because He says, “as I have loved you.” Again, how does He love us? Yes, sacrificially. What is involved in that? I won’t list all of the verses here because the whole BIble joyfully shouts it - go the extra mile, give the cloak as well, esteem the needs of others more highly than your own. Visit the sick, the imprisoned, comfort those in mourning. Love your enemies. Pray for those that persecute you. Do good to those who despitefully use you. How should we do it?? WITHOUT grumbling and complaining. (Yikes, also hard).
Next question: who are the people that are going to know us by our love? The world. Those outside. Unbelievers. “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone," Col. 4:5-6 Our lives are no longer our own, they are hidden with Christ in God. Those lives we live in the flesh have a purpose - to share the Good News, to do the good works that were created beforehand for us to walk in. Whatever we do in word or deed, we are to do it all to glorify Him. That’s humbling, isn’t it? This is what the world should see. (Thank goodness for Romans 7, because this is a tall order but we have a GREAT Savior).
2 Corinthians 3:3 “You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Another question: what does your letter say?
Okay, this is where the pictures come in. This is a very small sampling of the reaction the world has to the letter many of us are sharing with them during these days of COVID19 - and it is not pretty. It is bringing shame to the name of Jesus. Some of us have made a huge issue about the masks - and yes, I know you have your “right to your own opinion,” but I ask - who are you in Christ? Who do you belong to? Whose opinion should you have? If you have been bought with that precious blood, then earthly “rights” and “treasures” should pale compared to the divine wonder of serving Jesus.
These pictures are just a couple of comments answering believers who proclaim their faith but also loudly protest the wearing of masks. I’ve seen so many more - and I’ve seen believers posting that “everyone who knows me knows I am good, kind, etc.…” Yes, and to people who know you this is likely very true -- but what does your letter read to those Outside. What do they see? That, my friends, is where the rubber meets the road. If we are to be 1) subject to governing authorities and 2) show our love by our actions (faith without works is dead) and the world sees the simple discomfort of a mask as a way to show the beautiful caring heart of Christ, how can we do otherwise? Where is our treasure? And is not the God we profess able to strengthen us and uphold us through such a small discomfort? We have brothers/sisters in Christ around the world dying to spread the Gospel and yet this small act of love is protested loudly and with tremendous complaint all over social media. Read Matthew 5:43-48 - we should go beyond loving ourselves, loving our own household.
We represent Jesus. We should be shouting 2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” rather than stomping our feet about our rights being violated by an act of kindness (that many work hard to dig up anything that will get us off the hook from doing). If it doesn’t hurt you that unbelievers are appalled by the ranting and raving over masks, ask yourself again who you are. If you are not happy with the answer, repent, put your focus back on Him, remember His love for you and let Him write the letter He wants you to share with the world.
**Yes, these comments have foul language; I’m sharing these few so we who are His see us as the world sees.There are far worse. Is this what we, the Church, want our letter to the outside to read? Remember, these are in response to professing Christians publicly complaining about masks. (The ones criticizing government officials are awful, too. I look back on my past political posturing and I am so ashamed). Let’s walk circumspectly, members of the Body.
To ere on the side of kindness
One thing my children probably heard me say 100 times or more is, "It is better to be safe than sorry." That means it is better to be cautious than potentially wind up hurting yourself or someone else. We live in a day where caution and safety are being urged by our government officials --- and the mobs are yelling, "No!" Their claim is that by doing these things, we are allow our rights to be stolen. I firmly believe that if we, as Christians, are to be in error, we should err on the side of kindness.
To be cautious is not to be fearful. Caution is a having a healthy respect for danger. Ephesians 5:15-17 states, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Circum means around, spect means to look. We are to look all the way around a situation in order not to be foolish. To be cautious out of love for your neighbor fits right in with the teachings of Christ.
Eugene Parks writes for Gospel Coalition that "Our Idols Are Exposed in Times of Crisis." Hoarding toilet paper is a great example of this. There are many others during this pandemic. A non-believer read a professing Christian's newsfeed. He saw lots of "Jesus loves you," and "I follow Jesus," on her feed. He also saw hateful slander. He saw a refusal to act in courtesy and love for sake of caution towards others. He pointed out - after expressing his extreme discuss for people who "Hail, Jesus" but hate their neighbor and refuse to act in love - that he thought this was America where we would go the extra mile to help our neighbor. Was he seeing it in Christians? No.
If ever a time the world could call Christians hypocrites, it is now. When one is asked to be mildly inconvenienced (to wear a mask in public places), and to freak out and say it is violating your rates is diametrically opposed to everything the Bible teachers us about imitating Christ. We are asked to wear it because enough public health experts believe it will help prevent the spread to *others* if we are asymptomatic carriers. Imagine Jesus saying to you, "Child, please do this to show your love for these weak or elderly that I love?" Would you turn to Jesus and said, "The government is just trying to force me to be compliant. Give an inch, they'll take a mile. This expert or that expert says it could possibly be useless or hurt me or..." Yes, we heap up prophets to tell us what our itching ears want to hear to avoid a basic command: LOVE. How did Jesus love us? Sacrificially. Unbelievers are seeing this and Jesus is being scorned.
Sadly, what happens when we get the opportunity to show that love in a small way? Anger. Outrage. Demand for "our rights." Fear of our liberties being taken away. Walk circumspectly - how does the world see this? How does Jesus see this?
Eugene Parks shares this verse and writes, "“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24–25).
Jesus calls us not to double down on our freedom, but to sacrifice it out of love for our neighbor. There is no better time to do that than now."
Images from all over the world show people - of all faiths and no faith- accepting inconvenience for the sake of trying to prevent neighbors from the spread of COVID19. Conspiracy theorists want us to take that loving compliance as foolishly giving away freedom to those with nefarious intent. And yet, in Matthew 5:46-47 Jesus says, " If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" If the world finds it a necessary sacrifice to be part of the solution, why are we so self-centered? Colossians 4:5 reads, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
1 Peter 2: 16-25 "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."
To be cautious is not to be fearful. Caution is a having a healthy respect for danger. Ephesians 5:15-17 states, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Circum means around, spect means to look. We are to look all the way around a situation in order not to be foolish. To be cautious out of love for your neighbor fits right in with the teachings of Christ.
Eugene Parks writes for Gospel Coalition that "Our Idols Are Exposed in Times of Crisis." Hoarding toilet paper is a great example of this. There are many others during this pandemic. A non-believer read a professing Christian's newsfeed. He saw lots of "Jesus loves you," and "I follow Jesus," on her feed. He also saw hateful slander. He saw a refusal to act in courtesy and love for sake of caution towards others. He pointed out - after expressing his extreme discuss for people who "Hail, Jesus" but hate their neighbor and refuse to act in love - that he thought this was America where we would go the extra mile to help our neighbor. Was he seeing it in Christians? No.
If ever a time the world could call Christians hypocrites, it is now. When one is asked to be mildly inconvenienced (to wear a mask in public places), and to freak out and say it is violating your rates is diametrically opposed to everything the Bible teachers us about imitating Christ. We are asked to wear it because enough public health experts believe it will help prevent the spread to *others* if we are asymptomatic carriers. Imagine Jesus saying to you, "Child, please do this to show your love for these weak or elderly that I love?" Would you turn to Jesus and said, "The government is just trying to force me to be compliant. Give an inch, they'll take a mile. This expert or that expert says it could possibly be useless or hurt me or..." Yes, we heap up prophets to tell us what our itching ears want to hear to avoid a basic command: LOVE. How did Jesus love us? Sacrificially. Unbelievers are seeing this and Jesus is being scorned.
Sadly, what happens when we get the opportunity to show that love in a small way? Anger. Outrage. Demand for "our rights." Fear of our liberties being taken away. Walk circumspectly - how does the world see this? How does Jesus see this?
Eugene Parks shares this verse and writes, "“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matt. 16:24–25).
Jesus calls us not to double down on our freedom, but to sacrifice it out of love for our neighbor. There is no better time to do that than now."
Images from all over the world show people - of all faiths and no faith- accepting inconvenience for the sake of trying to prevent neighbors from the spread of COVID19. Conspiracy theorists want us to take that loving compliance as foolishly giving away freedom to those with nefarious intent. And yet, in Matthew 5:46-47 Jesus says, " If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?" If the world finds it a necessary sacrifice to be part of the solution, why are we so self-centered? Colossians 4:5 reads, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."
1 Peter 2: 16-25 "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Bought with a price...
In recent times, I have had more several tell me that they are "shocked" that I am not joining in with the railing against "loss of liberties" or that I'm "not the same person" because I don't believe this is all a wild hoax meant to enslave us and take away the American way. My answer to that is - if that was who I was expected to be, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that He has chosen to deliver me from being that woman! I'm completely ashamed that I would have been thought to be "that" person; I publicly repent if that's who I seemed to be. I can't be her and follow Christ. I'm not interested in the political aspects of this - I'm interested in loving my neighbor and subjecting myself to restrictions meant to protect them. I have been bought with a very high price, I've been commanded to be a living sacrifice. Sometimes I don't do such a great job living in a way that shows that, but it is my strongest desire.
Many of the Jews that followed Jesus were hoping He would be this conquering warrior, taking down Roman rule. He was not. He came telling them to deny themselves, to take up their crosses and follow him. When I look at God's Word, I see it telling me to put the needs of others more highly than my own, to subject myself to governing authorities, to go the extra mile and be ready to give the proverbial "shirt off my back," etc. In fact, it tells me that I should not love my earthly life so much that I'm not willing to lose it for His sake. What I do NOT see anywhere in Scripture is that I should esteem my personal liberties or material wealth so highly that I would risk causing other people illness or death. I'm am NOT being prevented from worshipping God or sharing my faith. Therefore, I can search and search for it, but there is no Biblical mandate for me to rant and rave about measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID19.
In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told "These three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love." I have *faith* - God is my provider, He has shown me this repeatedly. My trust is not in the economy, in the Bill of Rights, etc and so forth --- and it is not that I don't like those things -- it is simply NOT where I place my faith. I'm aware that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away," with Job I agree, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." My *hope* - well, I'll echo the songwriter who said, "My hope is built in nothing less than Jesus' love and righteous, I dare not trust the sweetest frame buy wholly trust in Jesus' Name." All other ground is sinking sand; I believe March and April have proven that. And then there is *love* and doesn't the Word of God ask us lay down our lives for our friends? Over and over I see the Word place honor on life. I challenge you to search out what the Bible says on the value of life and on materialism - they are spoken of quite differently.
My friend shared this verse the other day, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable?" Matthew 6:26 I believe that. Think on what that tells you about the value of the individual and of Who does the providing.
To the people who are saying this is a hoax and dismissing the suffering people in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere and who can't believe I'm not in agreement- shame on you. The appearance is that of people trying to justify their hardness of heart. You may share your conspiracy theories, you may rant all you want, but I have friends and family in the thick of this and it is REAL. I've also heard people attempt to justify their positions with "it's the elderly and immuno-compromised who are dying," as if those people do not matter! They matter to Jesus and they matter to their loved ones. Some of these people will talk about how if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still die for you...and yet, this? Interestingly, some of the people who I've seen doing just this are the same ones I see publicly grieving the deaths of their loved ones long after their passing. They, of all people, should know how profound an effect grief and loss have. God values each of those - the elderly and the folks with underlying conditions - that you would like to sacrifice on the altars of materialism and "freedom" that you don't want to wear a mask or spend a short time restricting your movement; however, I don't believe He values your selfishness. If you are a Christian and doing this, doubly shame on you - because the Word teaches you better.
As far as me not being the woman "you know" because I don't want to run down your rabbit hole: I'm the same me who studied pandemics as a hobby two decades ago, making my family laugh as I was thrilled to be given books on the bubonic plague and small pox as gifts. I'm the same me listening to lectures from microbiologists, reading peer-reviewed journals, and reading news from all parts of the globe and both sides of the political aisle in order to better understand this. I'm still a patriotic American who believes in the Bill of Rights - I just don't see it being violated. Not at all. I've shared enough *actual facts* about the transmission and the unrealisticness of separating all elderly and immuno-compromised people. I've shared cold hard truth about how it is NOT comparable to the flu (or to car accidents, to getting whacked by a chainsaw killer, or whatever nonsense you want to compare it to), in order to pretend it isn't a brand-new, deadly evolving situation where the data is still being accumulated. I'm the same woman and I love Jesus more than all the other aspects of me, my life, etc.
This whole thing reminds me of a couple of songs --
Meatloaf sang, "I'll do anything for love, but I wouldn't do that..." In this case, there are some who would do anything for love BUT wear a mask, BUT social distance, BUT submit to government authority.
Michael Card sang, "What will it take to keep you from Jesus, keep you from heeding His call? A simple excuse of a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all." Jesus gave the example of submitting to earthly authorities. A question I ask myself, is what I love in this life keeping me from following Jesus? If it is, I pray for help to let it go. Sometimes its hard, very hard, and trials/temptations are allowed to refine me - but I've counted the cost and nothing surpasses the joy that comes from knowing Him.
Therefore, I am not sorry if I'm not who you expect me to be.
Many of the Jews that followed Jesus were hoping He would be this conquering warrior, taking down Roman rule. He was not. He came telling them to deny themselves, to take up their crosses and follow him. When I look at God's Word, I see it telling me to put the needs of others more highly than my own, to subject myself to governing authorities, to go the extra mile and be ready to give the proverbial "shirt off my back," etc. In fact, it tells me that I should not love my earthly life so much that I'm not willing to lose it for His sake. What I do NOT see anywhere in Scripture is that I should esteem my personal liberties or material wealth so highly that I would risk causing other people illness or death. I'm am NOT being prevented from worshipping God or sharing my faith. Therefore, I can search and search for it, but there is no Biblical mandate for me to rant and rave about measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID19.
In 1 Corinthians 13 we are told "These three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love." I have *faith* - God is my provider, He has shown me this repeatedly. My trust is not in the economy, in the Bill of Rights, etc and so forth --- and it is not that I don't like those things -- it is simply NOT where I place my faith. I'm aware that "the Lord gives and the Lord takes away," with Job I agree, "Blessed be the name of the Lord." My *hope* - well, I'll echo the songwriter who said, "My hope is built in nothing less than Jesus' love and righteous, I dare not trust the sweetest frame buy wholly trust in Jesus' Name." All other ground is sinking sand; I believe March and April have proven that. And then there is *love* and doesn't the Word of God ask us lay down our lives for our friends? Over and over I see the Word place honor on life. I challenge you to search out what the Bible says on the value of life and on materialism - they are spoken of quite differently.
My friend shared this verse the other day, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable?" Matthew 6:26 I believe that. Think on what that tells you about the value of the individual and of Who does the providing.
To the people who are saying this is a hoax and dismissing the suffering people in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere and who can't believe I'm not in agreement- shame on you. The appearance is that of people trying to justify their hardness of heart. You may share your conspiracy theories, you may rant all you want, but I have friends and family in the thick of this and it is REAL. I've also heard people attempt to justify their positions with "it's the elderly and immuno-compromised who are dying," as if those people do not matter! They matter to Jesus and they matter to their loved ones. Some of these people will talk about how if you were the only person on earth, Jesus would still die for you...and yet, this? Interestingly, some of the people who I've seen doing just this are the same ones I see publicly grieving the deaths of their loved ones long after their passing. They, of all people, should know how profound an effect grief and loss have. God values each of those - the elderly and the folks with underlying conditions - that you would like to sacrifice on the altars of materialism and "freedom" that you don't want to wear a mask or spend a short time restricting your movement; however, I don't believe He values your selfishness. If you are a Christian and doing this, doubly shame on you - because the Word teaches you better.
As far as me not being the woman "you know" because I don't want to run down your rabbit hole: I'm the same me who studied pandemics as a hobby two decades ago, making my family laugh as I was thrilled to be given books on the bubonic plague and small pox as gifts. I'm the same me listening to lectures from microbiologists, reading peer-reviewed journals, and reading news from all parts of the globe and both sides of the political aisle in order to better understand this. I'm still a patriotic American who believes in the Bill of Rights - I just don't see it being violated. Not at all. I've shared enough *actual facts* about the transmission and the unrealisticness of separating all elderly and immuno-compromised people. I've shared cold hard truth about how it is NOT comparable to the flu (or to car accidents, to getting whacked by a chainsaw killer, or whatever nonsense you want to compare it to), in order to pretend it isn't a brand-new, deadly evolving situation where the data is still being accumulated. I'm the same woman and I love Jesus more than all the other aspects of me, my life, etc.
This whole thing reminds me of a couple of songs --
Meatloaf sang, "I'll do anything for love, but I wouldn't do that..." In this case, there are some who would do anything for love BUT wear a mask, BUT social distance, BUT submit to government authority.
Michael Card sang, "What will it take to keep you from Jesus, keep you from heeding His call? A simple excuse of a heart that is hard, a reason that's nothing at all." Jesus gave the example of submitting to earthly authorities. A question I ask myself, is what I love in this life keeping me from following Jesus? If it is, I pray for help to let it go. Sometimes its hard, very hard, and trials/temptations are allowed to refine me - but I've counted the cost and nothing surpasses the joy that comes from knowing Him.
Therefore, I am not sorry if I'm not who you expect me to be.
Monday, April 6, 2020
Eustace and Aslan...shedding our dragonish ways
| |
C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (New York: Harper Collins, 1994), pp. 113–16.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:17 ESV |
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Viking slave ship flying a Christian flag
What makes a Christian employer Christian? When an employee signs on to a company that claims to be Christian, there is an expectation that the Christian values touted in the mission and vision statements will extend to the employees. It is a shock when this is not found to be true and that employees are treated like chattel and not like brothers/sisters in Christ. Does just flying a flag saying, "We are Christians!" translate to "Yes, this is indeed a Christian organization" or is there something more?
**Caveat: This piece will not address the joys of TEACHING, the wonders of student breakthroughs, the beauty of relationship-building. That happened IN SPITE of the conditions described below.
Once upon a time found myself in a situation where this question is pressing in my mind. With excitement I accepted a position where I felt I would be part of a Christian family joined together in a worthy mission.I had been part of two amazing Christian schools that were exactly that (Akron & Sparta), so my expectations and joy joy seemed fully appropriate. That excitement soon turned to discouragement, dismay, and ultimately despair as I discovered that teachers were merely cogs in a machine. If a cog was broken from lack of maintenance/care, then a new one was found. So much so that most of the staff was new. When I resigned, the principal asked me, "What happened to the excited, passionate woman I hired?" I said, "You tell me."
One thing that took its toll on that excited, passionate woman was that she was cooked. She was standing on her feet in an exceedingly hot classroom without circulation for the lion's share of an eight-hour workday. Professional clothes stuck to her body, sweat pouring from her face. At 7am the classroom started out in the 80s from August through September and went up throughout the day. The first five and a half hours of the day were spent standing/walking and sweating with a less than 20 minute break before more of the same. The more bodies in the room, the higher the temp (afternoon there were generally 30 bodies, the majority adult-sized). Even heat at temperatures of 80F has a marked effect on human performance and health. See https://www.ehstoday.com/health/news/heat-stress-affects-performance-7791 The OSHA technical manual recommends employers maintain workplace temperatures in the range of 68-76 degrees Fahrenheit and along with humidity control. For 8 weeks I worked in conditions over 85F with humidity ranging from 58 to 90%. There were many days with classroom temps at 86 and a heat index of 79, that gave a classroom real-feel of 96F. During the severe Ohio heat wave, temperatures were greater but I did not have a gauge set up.
On October 3rd, the effect of the heat was so severe on my body that I experienced muscle cramps, trembling, and a rapid heart rate. The substitute in my room (to replace a teacher who was fired after telling admin that they had become militant and legalistic) said that I was extremely red. He was greatly concerned and thought I needed ice from the nurse but I was so afraid of not getting the required work done that I sat down in front of a fan for a few minutes. On the drive home that day I was unfocused and shaking. I went to the doctor the next day and was prescribed two days off. By this point I knew that nothing would be done about the heat because I had spoken to the the principal about it several times to no avail and with flippant response.
My second floor classroom was above the boiler room and next to the computer servers, whose venting was directly into the attic above my room. My classroom had two windows which looked out upon a sort of courtyard area consisting of a asphalt roof just below the windows and two brick walls. There was a small alleyway after the roof and then the high school building walled it all in. It was an area where no breeze could enter but the hot sun would bake the roof and the brick walls and drive the heat into the classroom. It reminded me of a pizza oven. The classroom was HOT. Teachers were required to bring their own fans. Three fans did absolutely nothing.(I'm a widow on a limited income; I cannot afford to buy large industrial fans myself). A person entering the room from the hallway was hit in the face with a blast of heat. After a weekend of temperatures in the low 50s with the windows open and fans on, the temperature in the classroom on an early Monday morning was still 79F and would rise into the mid-80s as the day wore on. September was very hot and the temperature in the classroom was often up to the low-90s - and this does NOT include the heat index factoring in the humidity. Students were sweating, requiring frequent trips to the fountain, getting diarrhea from the heat, and becoming fatigued. This made learning extremely difficult and of course, wildly uncomfortable. Repeated pleas to the principal led to flippant statements like, "Fall will be here eventually!" and moments where it seemed like something might be done but, sadly, nothing happened except one thing. Speaking to the Dean of Students during one of his frequent trips into the room, he criticized me and said, "Don't complain. Tell me solutions." I *did* offer solutions: Buy industrial fans. Put ceiling mounted fans in. Put fans in the corners of the ceilings, creating circulation. None of this was done. In the seventh week a portable air conditioner showed up in the room (the day after I was so sick it scared me and the doctor prescribed two days off). The unit was the kind that has an exhaust tube to stick out a window and the size to cool a 12X10 room, certainly not a large classroom. No matter - it was left sitting in the back of the room and never hooked up. It would require the removal of a window or sticking it out the window and rigging up some sort of framework around it. Instead it just sat there, a token of the transient thought of relief. Classroom temperatures that week climbed to 86 with a heat index in the 90s.
In a meeting that began the school year, the principal first shocked teachers by adding 15 minutes to the workday without informing them (no compensation). She then emphatically addressed the staff with a pointed, shaking finger, "School begins at 7:15 sharp and not a moment later." Obviously, that creates a tone that says, "I think you are a bunch of slackers and I'm putting you on notice that no slacking will be tolerated." (She later retracted the extra 15 minute demand due to the outrage). Meanwhile, the week of "professional boot camp" that this kicked off was a relentless chain of meetings and classes. New teachers to the school were given zero time in their classrooms. At this time they did not have class lists, copier codes, and many did not have curriculum. Class lists were provided toward the end of the week but still the new teachers were not given classroom time.
The principal, to me on two occasions, cavalierly stated that teaching was "not a 9 to 5 job" and mentioned new teachers who were in their classroom over the weekend doing what needed to be done. As if this is good - as if this is just "to be expected." That cavalier attitude was repeatedly encountered. The message was clear: You are expected to use as much of your private time as necessary to do the work we do not give you time to do while on the clock in the building. Now all teachers know that one *must* bring work home, one must do a great deal of planning home. However, most schools provide TIME within the walls to do some of this. Schools provide early dismissal days for students before interims and grading periods that are "teacher work days" so that teachers can accomplish this. They provide planning periods that strive to as adequately as possible provide time. One school in this area has made every Wednesday an early dismissal day so that teachers can have meetings and work in their rooms.
So it is established that in order to complete necessary duties, some teachers were coming in on unpaid weekend time. It became abundantly clear that work/life balance was not a consideration. On the annual schedule, teachers were told that there were two after school staff meetings a month. These meetings extended one hour and fifteen minutes past the close of school. One was informed this in the beginning of the year and therefore, could prepare accordingly. My experience was that these were well-planned meetings and the agenda was firmly followed. However, a group for newer teachers to the school was led by an adviser. This was initially expressed as a meeting that would occur during the professional development days (scheduled on days that students had off from school). This adviser was given carte blanche to demand that newer teachers stay after school an additional two days per month AND that they drive to an off-site coffee shop for these meetings. The adviser stated in a meeting that "if something is important, it is worth sacrificing two hours for" - this was actually 2 1/2 hours plus having to drive off-site and all that entails.
Now to a twist in the workday. Teachers were shocked to find that student AND teacher lunches were trimmed down to 20 minutes a day. Teachers were to walk their students to lunch, obviously reducing their own lunch time. During lunch they needed to answer emails, supervise lunch detentions, and often have surprise meetings with admin or student development staff who chose to pop into the room. Actually getting to eat a meal and have a moment of sanity was not going to happen. Heaven forbid you needed to wait in line for the sole microwave or use the restroom. (Here absolutely no regard to studies that have shown that cutting down lunch time leads to more student lunches being wasted and less nutritious food intake. I could paste in here scientific studies in stacks, but that is for another article).
Also shocking was my discovery that students as young as fourth grade - ten year olds - no longer had recess. Who takes recess away from fourth graders? These are children! That said a lot to me. An administration that doesn't understand the psychological needs of children is certainly not going to care for the needs of the teacher. “Some devalue recess because they assume it to be — as they assume play in young children to be — a waste of time, time that could be otherwise more efficiently spent,” Anthony Pellegrini, former professor of educational psychology at the University of Minnesota, wrote in a 2008 paper. “There is no theory or empirical evidence to support this point of view. The counter-argument, that recess is good, is backed by a large body of theory and empirical research.” This "Christian" administration was far, far behind the latest studies showing that the drive to achieve higher test scores was not going to be achieved by reducing recess. I had to ask myself: What kind of "Christian" people lack compassion and understanding of children to the degree that they will not allow them time to eat or time to release their stress with play?
The copier room became a place where teachers could briefly meet and cry to each other, some with actual tears. The school day started at 7:15 (sharp, remember?) but on Mondays one had to be in the cafeteria "SHARP" at that time for a "stand up" meeting. That meant that on Mondays if you needed to do anything to set up your room, you needed to be there much, much earlier. At 7:30 classroom teachers were required to be at their doors, greeting students and watching the lockers. For me, I was on my feet from 7am or earlier until after taking the students down to lunch, arriving back in my room around 11:52, unless I stopped at the restroom. I was back on my feet to watch the halls by 12:11 and on my feet until after I led students to specials at 1:55. My planning period, nearly always taken by meetings, lasted until students returned at 2:35, when I needed to be on my feet again, watching the halls. Wednesdays involved walking car-riders down and standing in the cafeteria until 3:10.
Everyone pretty much had this relentless schedule of standing on their feet for all but a brief period of time. When we met in that copier room (where the bathroom was located), the stress was freely shared. The staff which started out in August as happy, excited co-workers became a host of beaten down men and women dragging themselves through the day. The first teacher worship during boot camp week had been amazing and inspiring. The last one, after these 8 weeks of being squeezed like an old mop, was dull and lifeless. The joy had been wrung out.
There were other issues that played into teacher dis-encouragement including micromanagement at a level that I had never before witnessed. That can be nerve-wracking but we were given a heads up in the beginning of the year that admin would be "in and out of classrooms." I didn't know that it meant a continual parade of interruption, but at least it was expected and I chose to overlook it and keep teaching. At that copier, however, teachers wondered and worried thinking it was *just* each of them experiencing the parade - as if they were personally under a microscope. I think it helped everyone to know "no, you are not alone, they are doing it to all of us."
I've yet to mention anything that shows Christian love and care for the employees, for a sign of something that shows the edification of co-workers in Christ. I wish I could but I cannot say anything jumps out other than a breakfast served by admin during the last day of boot camp week. There was no teacher lounge. Teacher birthdays were not recognized during announcements (happily, students were). There was a quickness to criticize and rare moments of praise. It seemed like more and more was piled on to each day. More procedures, more meetings, more directions to insure that not only were "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed but that the slant of each letter was perfectly in sync and that the dotting and crossing were at standardized heights." (I found this amazing when a situation with severe mold on classroom furniture occurred and the administration was decidedly NOT inclined to follow prescribed decontamination procedures. If one is going to be rigid, rigidity on safety and health should be exercised. In the situation occurring on October 15, the mold was handled in a completely unacceptable manner).
A good secular employer knows that his human capital is his greatest asset. Key to good human resource management is appreciation. Employees need to feel appreciated and respected. A weary and unappreciated employee can quickly become a disengaged employee. The human body is a wonderful piece of equipment and must be maintained and tended with care. Therefore, adequate breaks and a healthy work/life balance should be fundamental. Should a Christian organization show less care and concern than secular bodies?
Therefore, one must ask -- what does the Bible say about Christian employers? While there are no specific addresses to employers, there are many Bible verses that apply.
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
1 Corinthians 9:9
For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
Colossians 4:1
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
1 Timothy 5:18 "For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire."
Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Deuteronomy 24:14
“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.
Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.
I can now clearly see why the world looks at people and organizations that declare themselves to be Christian and scoff. I have had the privilege of working for two Christian organizations in the past that indeed were godly, loving and wonderful places with admin that loved both students and staff. I will hold those places dearly in my heart. However, this situation has led me to shed my naivety and in the future, I will be wary --- very, very wary.
(I hesitate to share this publicly because when one blows a whistle one opens up to all sorts of criticism. At least I have documentation of the heat AND the fact of its physical/mental effects on performance. It is sad to say that I have to retain other evidence to protect myself).
**Caveat: This piece will not address the joys of TEACHING, the wonders of student breakthroughs, the beauty of relationship-building. That happened IN SPITE of the conditions described below.
Once upon a time found myself in a situation where this question is pressing in my mind. With excitement I accepted a position where I felt I would be part of a Christian family joined together in a worthy mission.I had been part of two amazing Christian schools that were exactly that (Akron & Sparta), so my expectations and joy joy seemed fully appropriate. That excitement soon turned to discouragement, dismay, and ultimately despair as I discovered that teachers were merely cogs in a machine. If a cog was broken from lack of maintenance/care, then a new one was found. So much so that most of the staff was new. When I resigned, the principal asked me, "What happened to the excited, passionate woman I hired?" I said, "You tell me."
One thing that took its toll on that excited, passionate woman was that she was cooked. She was standing on her feet in an exceedingly hot classroom without circulation for the lion's share of an eight-hour workday. Professional clothes stuck to her body, sweat pouring from her face. At 7am the classroom started out in the 80s from August through September and went up throughout the day. The first five and a half hours of the day were spent standing/walking and sweating with a less than 20 minute break before more of the same. The more bodies in the room, the higher the temp (afternoon there were generally 30 bodies, the majority adult-sized). Even heat at temperatures of 80F has a marked effect on human performance and health. See https://www.ehstoday.com/health/news/heat-stress-affects-performance-7791 The OSHA technical manual recommends employers maintain workplace temperatures in the range of 68-76 degrees Fahrenheit and along with humidity control. For 8 weeks I worked in conditions over 85F with humidity ranging from 58 to 90%. There were many days with classroom temps at 86 and a heat index of 79, that gave a classroom real-feel of 96F. During the severe Ohio heat wave, temperatures were greater but I did not have a gauge set up.
On October 3rd, the effect of the heat was so severe on my body that I experienced muscle cramps, trembling, and a rapid heart rate. The substitute in my room (to replace a teacher who was fired after telling admin that they had become militant and legalistic) said that I was extremely red. He was greatly concerned and thought I needed ice from the nurse but I was so afraid of not getting the required work done that I sat down in front of a fan for a few minutes. On the drive home that day I was unfocused and shaking. I went to the doctor the next day and was prescribed two days off. By this point I knew that nothing would be done about the heat because I had spoken to the the principal about it several times to no avail and with flippant response.
My second floor classroom was above the boiler room and next to the computer servers, whose venting was directly into the attic above my room. My classroom had two windows which looked out upon a sort of courtyard area consisting of a asphalt roof just below the windows and two brick walls. There was a small alleyway after the roof and then the high school building walled it all in. It was an area where no breeze could enter but the hot sun would bake the roof and the brick walls and drive the heat into the classroom. It reminded me of a pizza oven. The classroom was HOT. Teachers were required to bring their own fans. Three fans did absolutely nothing.(I'm a widow on a limited income; I cannot afford to buy large industrial fans myself). A person entering the room from the hallway was hit in the face with a blast of heat. After a weekend of temperatures in the low 50s with the windows open and fans on, the temperature in the classroom on an early Monday morning was still 79F and would rise into the mid-80s as the day wore on. September was very hot and the temperature in the classroom was often up to the low-90s - and this does NOT include the heat index factoring in the humidity. Students were sweating, requiring frequent trips to the fountain, getting diarrhea from the heat, and becoming fatigued. This made learning extremely difficult and of course, wildly uncomfortable. Repeated pleas to the principal led to flippant statements like, "Fall will be here eventually!" and moments where it seemed like something might be done but, sadly, nothing happened except one thing. Speaking to the Dean of Students during one of his frequent trips into the room, he criticized me and said, "Don't complain. Tell me solutions." I *did* offer solutions: Buy industrial fans. Put ceiling mounted fans in. Put fans in the corners of the ceilings, creating circulation. None of this was done. In the seventh week a portable air conditioner showed up in the room (the day after I was so sick it scared me and the doctor prescribed two days off). The unit was the kind that has an exhaust tube to stick out a window and the size to cool a 12X10 room, certainly not a large classroom. No matter - it was left sitting in the back of the room and never hooked up. It would require the removal of a window or sticking it out the window and rigging up some sort of framework around it. Instead it just sat there, a token of the transient thought of relief. Classroom temperatures that week climbed to 86 with a heat index in the 90s.
In a meeting that began the school year, the principal first shocked teachers by adding 15 minutes to the workday without informing them (no compensation). She then emphatically addressed the staff with a pointed, shaking finger, "School begins at 7:15 sharp and not a moment later." Obviously, that creates a tone that says, "I think you are a bunch of slackers and I'm putting you on notice that no slacking will be tolerated." (She later retracted the extra 15 minute demand due to the outrage). Meanwhile, the week of "professional boot camp" that this kicked off was a relentless chain of meetings and classes. New teachers to the school were given zero time in their classrooms. At this time they did not have class lists, copier codes, and many did not have curriculum. Class lists were provided toward the end of the week but still the new teachers were not given classroom time.
The principal, to me on two occasions, cavalierly stated that teaching was "not a 9 to 5 job" and mentioned new teachers who were in their classroom over the weekend doing what needed to be done. As if this is good - as if this is just "to be expected." That cavalier attitude was repeatedly encountered. The message was clear: You are expected to use as much of your private time as necessary to do the work we do not give you time to do while on the clock in the building. Now all teachers know that one *must* bring work home, one must do a great deal of planning home. However, most schools provide TIME within the walls to do some of this. Schools provide early dismissal days for students before interims and grading periods that are "teacher work days" so that teachers can accomplish this. They provide planning periods that strive to as adequately as possible provide time. One school in this area has made every Wednesday an early dismissal day so that teachers can have meetings and work in their rooms.
So it is established that in order to complete necessary duties, some teachers were coming in on unpaid weekend time. It became abundantly clear that work/life balance was not a consideration. On the annual schedule, teachers were told that there were two after school staff meetings a month. These meetings extended one hour and fifteen minutes past the close of school. One was informed this in the beginning of the year and therefore, could prepare accordingly. My experience was that these were well-planned meetings and the agenda was firmly followed. However, a group for newer teachers to the school was led by an adviser. This was initially expressed as a meeting that would occur during the professional development days (scheduled on days that students had off from school). This adviser was given carte blanche to demand that newer teachers stay after school an additional two days per month AND that they drive to an off-site coffee shop for these meetings. The adviser stated in a meeting that "if something is important, it is worth sacrificing two hours for" - this was actually 2 1/2 hours plus having to drive off-site and all that entails.
Now to a twist in the workday. Teachers were shocked to find that student AND teacher lunches were trimmed down to 20 minutes a day. Teachers were to walk their students to lunch, obviously reducing their own lunch time. During lunch they needed to answer emails, supervise lunch detentions, and often have surprise meetings with admin or student development staff who chose to pop into the room. Actually getting to eat a meal and have a moment of sanity was not going to happen. Heaven forbid you needed to wait in line for the sole microwave or use the restroom. (Here absolutely no regard to studies that have shown that cutting down lunch time leads to more student lunches being wasted and less nutritious food intake. I could paste in here scientific studies in stacks, but that is for another article).
Also shocking was my discovery that students as young as fourth grade - ten year olds - no longer had recess. Who takes recess away from fourth graders? These are children! That said a lot to me. An administration that doesn't understand the psychological needs of children is certainly not going to care for the needs of the teacher. “Some devalue recess because they assume it to be — as they assume play in young children to be — a waste of time, time that could be otherwise more efficiently spent,” Anthony Pellegrini, former professor of educational psychology at the University of Minnesota, wrote in a 2008 paper. “There is no theory or empirical evidence to support this point of view. The counter-argument, that recess is good, is backed by a large body of theory and empirical research.” This "Christian" administration was far, far behind the latest studies showing that the drive to achieve higher test scores was not going to be achieved by reducing recess. I had to ask myself: What kind of "Christian" people lack compassion and understanding of children to the degree that they will not allow them time to eat or time to release their stress with play?
The copier room became a place where teachers could briefly meet and cry to each other, some with actual tears. The school day started at 7:15 (sharp, remember?) but on Mondays one had to be in the cafeteria "SHARP" at that time for a "stand up" meeting. That meant that on Mondays if you needed to do anything to set up your room, you needed to be there much, much earlier. At 7:30 classroom teachers were required to be at their doors, greeting students and watching the lockers. For me, I was on my feet from 7am or earlier until after taking the students down to lunch, arriving back in my room around 11:52, unless I stopped at the restroom. I was back on my feet to watch the halls by 12:11 and on my feet until after I led students to specials at 1:55. My planning period, nearly always taken by meetings, lasted until students returned at 2:35, when I needed to be on my feet again, watching the halls. Wednesdays involved walking car-riders down and standing in the cafeteria until 3:10.
Everyone pretty much had this relentless schedule of standing on their feet for all but a brief period of time. When we met in that copier room (where the bathroom was located), the stress was freely shared. The staff which started out in August as happy, excited co-workers became a host of beaten down men and women dragging themselves through the day. The first teacher worship during boot camp week had been amazing and inspiring. The last one, after these 8 weeks of being squeezed like an old mop, was dull and lifeless. The joy had been wrung out.
There were other issues that played into teacher dis-encouragement including micromanagement at a level that I had never before witnessed. That can be nerve-wracking but we were given a heads up in the beginning of the year that admin would be "in and out of classrooms." I didn't know that it meant a continual parade of interruption, but at least it was expected and I chose to overlook it and keep teaching. At that copier, however, teachers wondered and worried thinking it was *just* each of them experiencing the parade - as if they were personally under a microscope. I think it helped everyone to know "no, you are not alone, they are doing it to all of us."
I've yet to mention anything that shows Christian love and care for the employees, for a sign of something that shows the edification of co-workers in Christ. I wish I could but I cannot say anything jumps out other than a breakfast served by admin during the last day of boot camp week. There was no teacher lounge. Teacher birthdays were not recognized during announcements (happily, students were). There was a quickness to criticize and rare moments of praise. It seemed like more and more was piled on to each day. More procedures, more meetings, more directions to insure that not only were "i's" dotted and "t's" crossed but that the slant of each letter was perfectly in sync and that the dotting and crossing were at standardized heights." (I found this amazing when a situation with severe mold on classroom furniture occurred and the administration was decidedly NOT inclined to follow prescribed decontamination procedures. If one is going to be rigid, rigidity on safety and health should be exercised. In the situation occurring on October 15, the mold was handled in a completely unacceptable manner).
A good secular employer knows that his human capital is his greatest asset. Key to good human resource management is appreciation. Employees need to feel appreciated and respected. A weary and unappreciated employee can quickly become a disengaged employee. The human body is a wonderful piece of equipment and must be maintained and tended with care. Therefore, adequate breaks and a healthy work/life balance should be fundamental. Should a Christian organization show less care and concern than secular bodies?
Therefore, one must ask -- what does the Bible say about Christian employers? While there are no specific addresses to employers, there are many Bible verses that apply.
The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10
1 Corinthians 9:9
For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?
Colossians 4:1
Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
1 Timothy 5:18 "For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire."
Acts 20:28 "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.
Luke 6:31
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
Deuteronomy 24:14
“You shall not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he is one of your brothers or one of the sojourners who are in your land within your towns.
Proverbs 11:1
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.
I can now clearly see why the world looks at people and organizations that declare themselves to be Christian and scoff. I have had the privilege of working for two Christian organizations in the past that indeed were godly, loving and wonderful places with admin that loved both students and staff. I will hold those places dearly in my heart. However, this situation has led me to shed my naivety and in the future, I will be wary --- very, very wary.
(I hesitate to share this publicly because when one blows a whistle one opens up to all sorts of criticism. At least I have documentation of the heat AND the fact of its physical/mental effects on performance. It is sad to say that I have to retain other evidence to protect myself).
I don't like roller coasters
Those who know me well know that I do not like roller coasters. I don't like being propelled at high speeds around hairpin turns nor do I like plunging downward at severe angles. My favorite ride was at Geauga Lake and it was Grizzly River Run. You are in a raft and waves fling you about a little, you get splashed, if you are the unlucky/lucky one to be directly under the waterfall you get drenched. It's not a ride for thrillseekers. It's just FUN without being extreme. I wish life was like that.
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Tick tock, time marches on
It has been 12 days since I taught my last power yoga class and the last day I had students in the classroom. We spent the rest of the week in school preparing more blizzard bags and trying to figure out what was going to be happening. Friday we found out we'd be working from home.
For a week now, it's been social isolation. Homeschooling my two grandsons, preparing classwork, calling students. The gyms are all closed - no classes to teach. Doing workouts on my own. I'm thanking God that several years ago we bought a couple of spinning bikes; I can still work on my Sprint coaching and hope to one day do the filming.
I'm amazed by the toilet paper hoarding. It's sparked a great number of hilarious memes, so that's something. People are going bananas hoarding stuff. I think about what I've learned about serious events in the past and how everyone shared. Rationed. Not this culture. Hogging, hoarding.
With all of the uncertainty we find ourselves in, I think perhaps the most stressful thing is wondering what other ugliness will be revealed about our cultural condition.
For a week now, it's been social isolation. Homeschooling my two grandsons, preparing classwork, calling students. The gyms are all closed - no classes to teach. Doing workouts on my own. I'm thanking God that several years ago we bought a couple of spinning bikes; I can still work on my Sprint coaching and hope to one day do the filming.
I'm amazed by the toilet paper hoarding. It's sparked a great number of hilarious memes, so that's something. People are going bananas hoarding stuff. I think about what I've learned about serious events in the past and how everyone shared. Rationed. Not this culture. Hogging, hoarding.
With all of the uncertainty we find ourselves in, I think perhaps the most stressful thing is wondering what other ugliness will be revealed about our cultural condition.
Neither shall any plague come near thy dwelling...
Here we are in the midst of a crisis that we haven't seen in our life time. I was a child during the 1973 Oil Crisis. I only have the vaguest of memories of gas lines and people getting gas based on odd or even numbered license plates. I was a young mother during 9/11. Neither of these events affected "life as we know it" the way the coronavirus is.
Last night I taught my last power yoga class until further notice. I was the last class taught before that fitness center closed. Yes, people came. We distanced ourselves properly...and it was wonderful. My theme for the class was anxiety. As we flowed through wonderful poses, we focused on strength in peace, strength in breath, strength in calmness of mind, strength to maintain balance and to be flexible no matter what life throws our way. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.
Prior to this I had spent the day at school. School was open but only two students in my class showed up. The day was occupied by making two more blizzard bags. I had already made the first one on Friday. We staggered copier time so that every teacher would get a fair chance to get this task done. I had spent a great deal of time on the weekend seeking out materials that would be educational, but not over reach. The fear is that many children won't bother to complete the assignments. Three weeks worth were made but the word from our governor is that schools may be closed for the rest of the school year. Normal may not return until July or August.
**I actually began writing this on 3/17. Today is 3/28. Things have continued to get weird.
Last night I taught my last power yoga class until further notice. I was the last class taught before that fitness center closed. Yes, people came. We distanced ourselves properly...and it was wonderful. My theme for the class was anxiety. As we flowed through wonderful poses, we focused on strength in peace, strength in breath, strength in calmness of mind, strength to maintain balance and to be flexible no matter what life throws our way. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind.
Prior to this I had spent the day at school. School was open but only two students in my class showed up. The day was occupied by making two more blizzard bags. I had already made the first one on Friday. We staggered copier time so that every teacher would get a fair chance to get this task done. I had spent a great deal of time on the weekend seeking out materials that would be educational, but not over reach. The fear is that many children won't bother to complete the assignments. Three weeks worth were made but the word from our governor is that schools may be closed for the rest of the school year. Normal may not return until July or August.
**I actually began writing this on 3/17. Today is 3/28. Things have continued to get weird.
Saturday, February 8, 2020
The law of club and fang
Life. It is a beautiful and terrible thing. Oftentimes you find that the terrible comes when you aren't guarded, when you trust too much in the wrong things, the wrong people. We are given a principle in Psalm 118:8, "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." More up close, we are told to beware of the people that are close that we feel we should trust. Jeremiah 9:4 "Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; Because every brother deals craftily, And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer." (But don't forget Proverbs 27:6, "faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy"). In Jack London's The Call of the Wild, the burly St. Bernard-mix Buck is stolen from his pampered life as a beloved family dog in California and sold into a hellish existence of violence and servitude in the northern continent during the Klondike Gold Rush. He went from a land of civilization - even his interactions with other dogs had its moral codes - to a life where kindness, courtesy, and fair-play were non-existent. He was kidnapped because his dealings with men prior to that event were always good; he was finessed by the gardener's apprentice. He had built a naive belief that humans were to be trusted; he found out otherwise as he was sold and exposed to never-before-known-to-him violence.
"Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. There was imperative need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang."
Buck found himself beaten into compliance (but never submission!) by the man in the red sweater. He watched in horror as friendly Curly approaches a husky in a amiable way and has her face ripped open. As she responds to the attack, a pack of dogs surrounds her and takes her down. Buck never forgets her savage end, nor Spitz seeming to laugh at her demise. He cements his will against ever letting himself go down in a fight. Cruelty and violence have replaced fair play; he must adapt or meet a similar end.
"He had learned well the law of club and fang, and he never forewent an advantage or drew back from a foe he had started on the way to Death. He had lessoned from Spitz, and from the chief fighting dogs of the police and mail, and knew there was no middle course. He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings made for death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed."
My tendency is to trust. To believe that deep down, people mean well. For years I had been in a rather insular life - homeschooling, homeschool groups, church, working with children in rec league. Here and there, I ran into an occasional bad apple, but for the most part I dealt with honest, moral, empathetic people. When I finished my degree and hit the work force when Erin was in high school, I discovered a different, wilder sort of world - but still manageable. After all, I had a safe haven in Pat to come home to. However, when Pat passed away 3 1/2 years ago, I began to discover the law of the club and fang in earnest.
My students have taught me the pop culture understanding of being "finessed." They don't want anyone "finessing" them - saying one thing, doing another or manipulating them. When you trust people to be honorable, to have good moral standards, to be ethical - it is easy to be finessed. Buck was finessed into taking a walk with Manual and wound up sold, beaten and dragged a thousand miles away. Buck was also finessed by a dog who appeared friendly but would snatch his dinner in a heartbeat. Most of us have met people who will lie, slander, whatever it takes to get ahead, to achieve preeminence.
The more I become acquainted with the law of the club and fang, I find that I get a deeper understanding of Kipling's "If--" The more I deal with its workings in the world, the clearer it becomes that it is at work in our own realms. I remember my father saying repeatedly that it is a "Dog eat dog" world. Since it is my father who introduced me to Jack London, this might be why the law of the club and fang strikes me so deeply. It would be easy, I think, to decide to play as dirty as you are played - but I believe there is a loving Father who would be saddened and shamed by that behavior. I know I've mentioned before how I clung to the "Filling the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run" line for years... Now other verses have been becoming more clear.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise
My hope is to be able to be on guard like Buck without the need to resort to the cunning he use in snatching an extra morsel when the opportunity arose. It should always be in the goal to never be part of the pack that rips apart the fallen. It could be that finding your "pack," is the best way to operate in this dog-eat-dog world. Sadly, although Buck found trust and love with John Thornton, Skeet and Nig, the primitive never left him. This goes unfinished as a ponder the hows and whys of rising above after having been nipped by the fang and beat by the club.
*A side note: Kipling and London were contemporaries. While there seems to be such disparity in their inspirations, both witnessed the law of club and fang. Kipling and his sister endured the torment and terror of childhood abuse in the hands of Mrs. Holloway who boarded them while their parents were in India. "Often and often afterwards, the beloved Aunt would ask me why I had never told any one how I was being treated. Children tell little more than animals, for what comes to them they accept as eternally established. Also, badly-treated children have a clear notion of what they are likely to get if they betray the secrets of a prison-house before they are clear of it."
"Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety. All was confusion and action, and every moment life and limb were in peril. There was imperative need to be constantly alert; for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages, all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang."
Buck found himself beaten into compliance (but never submission!) by the man in the red sweater. He watched in horror as friendly Curly approaches a husky in a amiable way and has her face ripped open. As she responds to the attack, a pack of dogs surrounds her and takes her down. Buck never forgets her savage end, nor Spitz seeming to laugh at her demise. He cements his will against ever letting himself go down in a fight. Cruelty and violence have replaced fair play; he must adapt or meet a similar end.
"He had learned well the law of club and fang, and he never forewent an advantage or drew back from a foe he had started on the way to Death. He had lessoned from Spitz, and from the chief fighting dogs of the police and mail, and knew there was no middle course. He must master or be mastered; while to show mercy was a weakness. mercy did not exist in the primordial life. It was misunderstood for fear, and such misunderstandings made for death. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten, was the law; and this mandate, down out of the depths of Time, he obeyed."
My tendency is to trust. To believe that deep down, people mean well. For years I had been in a rather insular life - homeschooling, homeschool groups, church, working with children in rec league. Here and there, I ran into an occasional bad apple, but for the most part I dealt with honest, moral, empathetic people. When I finished my degree and hit the work force when Erin was in high school, I discovered a different, wilder sort of world - but still manageable. After all, I had a safe haven in Pat to come home to. However, when Pat passed away 3 1/2 years ago, I began to discover the law of the club and fang in earnest.
My students have taught me the pop culture understanding of being "finessed." They don't want anyone "finessing" them - saying one thing, doing another or manipulating them. When you trust people to be honorable, to have good moral standards, to be ethical - it is easy to be finessed. Buck was finessed into taking a walk with Manual and wound up sold, beaten and dragged a thousand miles away. Buck was also finessed by a dog who appeared friendly but would snatch his dinner in a heartbeat. Most of us have met people who will lie, slander, whatever it takes to get ahead, to achieve preeminence.
The more I become acquainted with the law of the club and fang, I find that I get a deeper understanding of Kipling's "If--" The more I deal with its workings in the world, the clearer it becomes that it is at work in our own realms. I remember my father saying repeatedly that it is a "Dog eat dog" world. Since it is my father who introduced me to Jack London, this might be why the law of the club and fang strikes me so deeply. It would be easy, I think, to decide to play as dirty as you are played - but I believe there is a loving Father who would be saddened and shamed by that behavior. I know I've mentioned before how I clung to the "Filling the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds worth of distance run" line for years... Now other verses have been becoming more clear.
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise
My hope is to be able to be on guard like Buck without the need to resort to the cunning he use in snatching an extra morsel when the opportunity arose. It should always be in the goal to never be part of the pack that rips apart the fallen. It could be that finding your "pack," is the best way to operate in this dog-eat-dog world. Sadly, although Buck found trust and love with John Thornton, Skeet and Nig, the primitive never left him. This goes unfinished as a ponder the hows and whys of rising above after having been nipped by the fang and beat by the club.
*A side note: Kipling and London were contemporaries. While there seems to be such disparity in their inspirations, both witnessed the law of club and fang. Kipling and his sister endured the torment and terror of childhood abuse in the hands of Mrs. Holloway who boarded them while their parents were in India. "Often and often afterwards, the beloved Aunt would ask me why I had never told any one how I was being treated. Children tell little more than animals, for what comes to them they accept as eternally established. Also, badly-treated children have a clear notion of what they are likely to get if they betray the secrets of a prison-house before they are clear of it."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
