Half a year has gone by since this incident, and instead of forgetting it, i want to type it down (?!) so that this lesson will stay with me. Hopefully it will help others also.
At the nominally Seventh-day Adventist school where i taught in Bangkok, there was a “Bible Bowl and Sports Day”. The whole day was devoted to these two main events. The Bible Bowl had each class giving a skit and a song, and then after intermission, mimes by the teachers and a quiz. The quiz questions were prepared by each home room teacher.
The kindergarten questions were cute – like “Who built a big ark?” with the teacher miming nail pounding etc. The 1st&2nd grade question – “Who said Here am i, send me?” 3rd&4th grade (my class) – What two things must you do to be saved?” And 5th grade – “Who was Moses’ sister?”
OK, all decent Bible questions, right? Now each teacher had prepared 8 questions on paper, and i had cut them up and put them in a hat to draw out. So sometimes a grade got 2 questions in a row, and sometimes not for a long while.
“What was the name of the region the Israelites wanted to travel to after leaving Egypt?” “What did Hannah make for Samuel?” “What is the Golden Rule?”
At this stage it still had not dawned on me, but around the time of the third question a pattern became very clear – Most of the teachers were just teaching Bible like any another subject – dry, boring facts with no relation to the students’ hearts or eternal life. How can these things be? Don’t we realize this may be the only time in the life of these non-christian students to really learn about the true God? We only have one class period a week to study religious themes (Values). There is very little time in school proper to open a Bible with the students. And when we do, what are we teaching?
Isn’t it 100 times more important for the child to know what two things they must do to be saved than the name of somebody who died 3000 years ago? And if they really live the Golden Rule, they will no doubt be in heaven too. But some historical fact? How will that affect their hearts and lead them closer to Jesus and heaven? As a Christian, sure, we should learn all the Bible we can, even the historical facts. But for non-christian little children, what could they possibly care if Joseph had a black coat, white coat, or coat of many colors?
Yes, the 1st&2nd grade teacher along with the 5th grade teacher were both fighting God at that time (I hope they have since repented). So their own lack of walking with Jesus evidenced itself in their lack of spirituality in their questions for the children in their care. So sad for those children tho….
Please God, may the seeds planted last school year not be totally lost, but may you preserve them, and when the timing is right, give them lots of water and sunshine to grow strong for you – to live forever with you in heaven 🙂