As little kindergartener Sam walked across the street this morning he was wearing his usual big smile as he held up an empty water bottle for me to see..... no explanation, just a smile. Guess there's a big empty water bottle project happening in kinder today!
Not too long after that, 1st grader Mahati, dressed all in pink, came skipping across with her dad and shouted out to me, "Happy Pink Day!"...........darn it, I didn't get the memo and I had no clue what or why! But after closer investigation (hey, I think a crossing guard mystery book idea was just born!.....nah!) I discovered that today is international stand up for abolishing bullying day or some such thing. Anyway, I just think it's interesting and a little ironic that schools, or anybody else for that matter, try to teach morals without the foundational reason for morals. I mean, really, why not be a bully? Because it's not socially acceptable? Why? Because it's not nice? Why be nice? Because that's just how you're supposed to act? Really?
When you think about it, that's what it comes down to. You act nice, or don't steal, or don't lie, etc. because.......well, just because. I mean, what other reason is there? Because it's right? Who says?
Pretend for a moment that the original foundation, God's directives, were a single page document. Over the generations, some people have carefully passed down the original document to the following generation, but some have chosen to pass down only a dim copy, important parts faded and forgotten. If some in each generation settle for just making a copy and then a copy of the copy to pass down then eventually what remains will be faded and barely readable. Some copies have actually become blank pages or have even been lost so that those coming up didn't even get a chance at making sense of and being productive in this life, whole families destroyed by being left trying to deal with sinful nature with no direction.
What's happened in the public school arena is a little different. The original document was deliberately tossed because it was deemed unnecessary. The problem is that there's nothing of substance to take it's place. And that brings us to where we are now, trying to teach morals with no rationalization.
So I give kudos to the school for trying to temper bullying by having "pink day", I do. I'm just sad for the useless spinning wheels and for the sweet kiddos that just need, desire, and would surely thrive because of the firm, sensible, and original guidance from God.
When you think about it, that's what it comes down to. You act nice, or don't steal, or don't lie, etc. because.......well, just because. I mean, what other reason is there? Because it's right? Who says?
Pretend for a moment that the original foundation, God's directives, were a single page document. Over the generations, some people have carefully passed down the original document to the following generation, but some have chosen to pass down only a dim copy, important parts faded and forgotten. If some in each generation settle for just making a copy and then a copy of the copy to pass down then eventually what remains will be faded and barely readable. Some copies have actually become blank pages or have even been lost so that those coming up didn't even get a chance at making sense of and being productive in this life, whole families destroyed by being left trying to deal with sinful nature with no direction.
What's happened in the public school arena is a little different. The original document was deliberately tossed because it was deemed unnecessary. The problem is that there's nothing of substance to take it's place. And that brings us to where we are now, trying to teach morals with no rationalization.
So I give kudos to the school for trying to temper bullying by having "pink day", I do. I'm just sad for the useless spinning wheels and for the sweet kiddos that just need, desire, and would surely thrive because of the firm, sensible, and original guidance from God.
