You can't put Humpty Dumpty back together again. It's not going back and ―maybe it never should have been there. I can almost hear the audible gasp and under the breath jab, "You are going straight to hell!"
Before you get your skivvies in a wad think about it. I usually scroll by or ignore these blasé comments and lame social media arguments. Yes, lame. Prayer in school. Let’s see, I was 7 years old, pledging allegiance to my flag “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Hmmm… public school was segregated and — there were no black people in my Dick and Jane reading books at that time. How indivisible was that?
Maybe prayer in school was divisive in the confines of the classroom. Maybe prayer needed to be in the home, in the hearts of the community. I remember a little Jewish girl in my 2nd or 3rd grade class who didn't participate and was ostracized for it. I also remember the first person to tell me they were an atheist and having pre-formed beliefs that they were going to get struck by lighting. Literally, I jumped back. Why? Obviously the world around me didn't teach acceptance. I would be equally uncomfortable if I were asked to (or not) pray to a totem pole if that were (or were not) my religion.
My religion IS Christianity, so I speak for myself here and not collectively for anyone or any group.
I cringe when I see the ills of society blamed on taking prayer out of the schools. It's highly possible that school was the only place it was going on since the argument is that everything went to hell and a hand basket when it was gone. Maybe prayer figuratively needs to leave the confine’s of wall’s, get some air? What if the last thing we see on the jumbotron at church read: Jesus has left the building.
The absence of prayer in school is not the root issue. I would just want prayer to mean something if it was there, for everyone. Not a mantra of mixed signals. If it's value to man was as important as it's source, it would have never been removed in the first place. Acts 5 vs 39.
Claiming feeble injustice with a rant for insignificant causes discredits the voice we could have collectively for real issues and empowers other's to call me a “So called Christian.”
I think back to an afternoon 10 years ago. We lived in the country. Not really the outback, just far enough out that we never EVER got a solicitor or a trick or treater. Our then 4 year old granddaughter was walking to the kitchen when someone knocked loudly on the front door. It scared her to pieces and she fell to the floor. Don answered the door while I scooped Alana up. After a minute or two, Don shut the door and consoled Alana who was still clinging to me by telling her the visitor's were people from the church. When she was able to speak she blurted out "So called Christians!"
I am one of those so called Christians. And every single time I give someone an opportunity to judge my actions, I open the door for such remarks. I will get it either way mind you, like the poor so called Christian’s that knocked on my door that day. But — that doesn't mean I need to provide the ammo.
I am neither the example for Christianity or the doormat. What I am is a struggler. I wake up every day and try. Some days I pass and other's I fail miserably, (my record is two minutes after waking.) I drink, I cuss and sometimes my faith is as volatile as the weather and if I had to pack my baggage of wrongdoings to board the Titantic, it would have sank in harbor instead of at sea. I am no more a Christian for reciting a prayer or singing onward Christian soldiers in elementary school than I would be for putting a fish stick sticker on my car.
My ACTIONS depending on the situation are what speaks of him in me. Be it soft and gentle or righteous for HIS names sake and not MY causes sake.
Choosing my battles wisely will give me better credibility as portraying the one I say moves my heart and actions. Oh!, and about those good ole days; I go back once again to the lyrics of Billy Joel "The good ole days weren't always good, but the bad weren't always bad"
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