What Do People Really Think Christianity Is About?
Last week’s Saturday Herald carried a story about school scripture in public schools. One parent complained that her child had come home from school and suggested they pray at dinner time. The parents were “appalled” that their child would pick up “that sort of vibe”. All they wanted was for their child to hear “some Bible stories and maybe some Christian background”.
The story troubles me on three counts.
- What sort of Christianity had these parents encountered in the past. They were obviously convinced that Bible stories and a Christian background had little relevance to real life. My prayer is that they and many others like them would encounter some Christians conspicuously living out the radical claims of Jesus in their lives.
- How far the secular would has drifted away from God. When a child suggesting prayer becomes an offensive act you know God is really out of the life equation.
- The NSW Federation of P & C Associations are now investigating the gap for children who opt out of school scripture. They want to develop an “ethics” course to teach children “What ought one to do”. My concern is who will write such a course. Once you take God out of the equation, ethics becomes a matter of opinion.
We need to be living our Christian lives in such a way that people are attracted to the message of Jesus sacrifice for each person, and the salvation He provides. The world needs to see how that truth affects our ethics, relationships and priorities. Please pray.
Stephen Semenchuk