December 9: What's My Opinion? Less is More

December 9:

Malachi 3: 1-6 “‘See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.  Then, suddenly the LORD you are seeking will come to His temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty.  But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.  He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.  Then, the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.  ‘So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers, and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the LORD Almighty.  “I, the LORD, do not change. So, you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.”

As I was taking attendance yesterday afternoon, one of my students asked me, “Mrs. Aaker, did you put up your holiday tree yet?”  Based on his tone of voice and the particular word that he emphasized in the question, I saw where he was going with the question.

“Yes, my Christmas tree is up.”

“EXACTLY?!” The student exclaimed, “It’s a CHRISTMAS tree, not a holiday tree. One of my teachers just told me that I can’t call it a “Christmas” tree; I am supposed to call it a “holiday” tree now.”

“It seems to me that it’s ok to call it a Christmas tree,” I explained. “As far as I know, the holiday is still called Christmas, which means the item under question is a Christmas tree.”

Even though it is tricky territory, these are the little (and sometimes, bigger) fires that I end up putting out as a classroom teacher.  Addressing moral dilemmas is technically not in my job description, but it has increasingly become an unspoken but more prevalent aspect of teaching.

As a public school teacher, I have a responsibility to all my students, and I take that seriously. This means I am cognizant of and respectful regarding all viewpoints, opinions, and of course, religious preferences.   As such, I have opinions, beliefs, and preferences of my own.  While God has called me to be a discerning, diplomatic, and empathetic teacher, He has called me to be His first.  I cannot, and will not, compromise my beliefs for a watered-down, but socially acceptable, version of the Truth.  Obviously, this means I can, and sometimes, do find myself in somewhat sticky situations.

For 22 years, the way in which I have managed to function smoothly in such situations is to answer questions truthfully, confidently, and succinctly when asked.  I do not apologize, but I do not force my opinions either.  Sometimes, this leads to more questions, which are then answered in much the same manner.  I do not engage in debate, nor do I promote my opinions as better than another. 

Some might criticize me by saying that I should not give my opinions at all. I would counter by saying that is unrealistic.  As humans, we share our thoughts and opinions with one another all the time. It is necessary for growth as we either question those opinions further or cement our beliefs even more.  As a teacher, I am able to model mature social interaction to, for, and with my students (who are 17 and 18 year olds).

Some might criticize me by saying that I should share my faith more.  That, too, is unrealistic as well as unwise.  Forcing opinions, especially faith-based opinions, generally has not been well-received.  In fact, history shows that such a practice has often led to conflict and war. My opinions are only shared when I am asked – to satisfy curiosity, and only within the context of relationship. If the students and I do communicate well on other topics and in other situations, then discussing topics of a moral nature is a recipe for disaster. I think that is a lesson for us all, whether one is a teacher or not.

Whenever any of us in a situation which requires us to stand firm on God’s promises and principles, He has promised to be faithful.  “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict” (Luke 21:15). Typically, we don’t have to say much because the truth usually speaks for itself.  Therefore, we can proceed with confidence that God will give us the exact words (and the number of them) that we need in any moment. As a rule, less is always more.

Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Philippians 2:14-15 “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ’children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky”

Or like the lights on a Christmas tree.

Challenge: Do something anonymously. Perform one act of kindness, but nobody can know you did it.  You may not tell anyone, and if someone finds out you did it, it doesn’t count and you have to do something else.  You learn not only charity and kindness but humility as well.