Advent Season... Out of the Fishbowl into the Shark Tank

When my husband and I were making the decision regarding the educational path for our children, we tried to be as open-minded and without prejudice as we could during the period of gathering information and evaluating each option.  We welcomed our friends’ input and the wisdom they gleaned from their own personal experience as they sought what they thought was best for their children. The year our son entered Kindergarten, a private Christian school moved into a brand-new church building one block from our house.  Majority of the families we knew had their kids there.  It was a logical, natural, safe choice, a no-brainer, so to speak.  Great education, great community, Christian-based curriculum, a lot of fun. We also considered homeschooling, the freedom and the flexibility of schedule appealing greatly to our family lifestyle.   Then, there was the local public school, about half a mile away.   Virtually nobody spoke up in favor of this choice.

Why would anyone want to throw their children to swim with the sharks? They'll be eaten alive! Exclaimed one of my friends, bravely voicing what was on everyone else’s mind.  Only people who had to, send their kids there. Public school received zero popular votes in this unofficial election. But, we felt we needed to give it a fair shot.

Make no mistake. We love our children.  We would do nothing to harm them in any way and everything to protect them from unnecessary pain and suffering. We watch the news and renew our local newspaper and several magazine subscriptions. I cherish no particular liking for swimming with the sharks. But, something kept us pursuing the unpopular alternative.  I met with the principal. I requested to speak to a Kindergarten teacher. I had a list of twenty or more questions and used them to interview one of them. The kind lady retired later that year, but I don’t think the interview had anything to do with it.  We prayed, and prayed, and prayed as if our lives depended on it.  Well, in a sense, they did, at least based on the reaction of the people around us.  

Our agony of those days could be distilled down to a theological question: Has God given up on and deserted the public school arena? Has He withdrawn His presence, blessing and protection to the confines of homes and private Christian educational institutions?  And if that is true, can a loving parent remain loving and still send their children to public school? The answer to these questions appeared to be quite obvious to everyone but me.

Eventually our confusion was infused with sufficient clarity to help us set our feet on the path prepared for our family. In the process we got a tiny glimpse into the uproar which might have taken place in the heavenly realm when the Lord announced His decision to send His beloved Son into the world – and that, as a tiny, vulnerable, helpless human baby! Can you imagine the outrage? I doubt that the angels, too holy to be impertinent, would loudly question the unfathomable wisdom of the Almighty God. But, I could almost hear them whispering to each other,

Why in the world would He want to do that?!!! Especially when you consider what they’ve done to all His prophets? This is crazy! They’re gonna crucify Him!!!

Little did they know at the time that when they were saying this it wasn’t just a figure of speech.

As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look. I Peter 1:10-12