Theological Thoughts for Thursday

It was difficult to teach the kid’s about conviction. Usually when I teach the kids a lesson, I find myself face to face with that value or virtue. I once taught the kids using the passage, “you visit me when I was in prison” only to find myself trying to sign in to visit a friend in jail a few days later.

So, I wasn’t too pleased to teach about conviction. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m a person of conviction. It’s just that my conviction’s don’t always line up with those of other Christians around me.

We talked about what we as Christians are called to do in everyday situations. What do we do if we see a bully picking on someone? Now, as principled people of conviction – we are called to act justly – our call is to stand up for the oppressed.

This is particularly difficult to teach children, because … come on … who does this? We live in a culture that teaches “protect your own” and a country that follows this rule. We pay taxes to a government that perpetuates “pre-emptive strikes.” We are the bully.

Sister PeterMarie, in my perennial favorite HBO show, OZ, stands on the other side of bars that keep a death row inmate inside. She is fighting and praying that his sentence will be commuted. She explains her sense of powerlessness. The inmate, a feeble minded older gentleman who speaks in monosyllabic expressions, says, “You, me, God, pray.” And they join together in prayer. I feel so helpless against the social justice I see all around me.

It’s so easy for me to speak publicly about the evils I encountered with the caste system in India. I can’t speak out against the white power structure found in my own culture. It’s not so easy for me to search out and fight for social justice when I am part of the power structure. I’m the bully?

So, I tell the kids that I teach, that they need to stand up to the bully. But, what I really mean is that I need to stand up to the bully; that I need to stand up for my convictions.

In my Christian Education class, they teach that Christianity, and all of its inherent values and morals, are caught … not taught. So, no matter how many times I repeat the necessity of standing up for what’s right – if I don’t do it, it’s worthless.