THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATOR ’ S PRAYER
By Dr . Bryan Smith
T he past two years have been harder than most for me . The uncertainty brought about by COVID- 19 is part of the reason , but only part . I ’ ve also found myself anxious about the challenges ( political , cultural , and financial ) facing Christian education . I ’ ve been made painfully aware of my own frailties and failures . My mother died after an extended illness . And , on top of it all , I turned fifty .
I have learned that the hardships of life have a way of adjusting my focus and modifying my goals . When I was in my early thirties , I talked a lot about changing the world through Christian education . These days , I think I ’ d be happy if I could just change myself . However , in my more discerning moments , I realize that the right goal lies somewhere between those two extremes . Trying to change the whole world is a task much grander than the one God has called us to , but being content with changing only myself is surely aiming too low .
What should my goal be ? I have found help from Psalm 71 . I ’ ve come to claim it as the Christian educator ’ s prayer .
THE OPPOSITION WE FACE
All through the psalm , we find opposition . The psalmist is concerned about “ the hand of the wicked ” and “ the grasp of the unjust and cruel man ” ( v . 4 ). The psalmist has enemies who “ watch for [ his ] life ” ( v . 10 ) and “ seek [ his ] hurt ” ( v . 13 ). And if that were not enough , the psalmist is also concerned about another threat — time . He is aging , and he can feel his energy slipping away . He speaks with anxiety about the coming of “ the time of old age ,” a time “ when [ his ] strength is spent ” ( v . 9 ). When that day comes , how will he provide for himself ? How will he complete the mission God has given him ?
Are you familiar with these anxieties ? We live in a secular age that dismisses religion and is offended by Christian education . As we watch the influence of the Bible diminish in our society , we find ourselves worried about the future . How much longer will the government allow us to teach students a Christian view of science and history ? What will we do if we get embroiled in a court case about transgenderism or homosexuality ?
But if you ’ re like me , your concerns don ’ t stop there . As each year passes , I see the end of my ministry drawing closer . There is a tragic irony in the passage of time : The longer I work in education , the more skilled I become ; however , the more time passes , the less strength and time I have to use my skill . This unsettling irony leads all of us to difficult questions . What will happen to Christian education when we can no longer serve it and support it ? Will the kingdom of God grow in the coming decades ? Will it collapse under the ever-increasing pressure of unbelief and secularism ?
42 THE RENEWANATION REVIEW