True story. The scene: a day recently in public classroom of 1st graders. The assisting teacher is told not to speak of Christmas or Santa due to politically correctly guidelines. “Ok. Sad. But Ok,” She thinks. Her daughter is one of the first graders as is little 6-year-old Johnny.
One day Johnny is in a small group with six girls. He says, ‘wanna hear something?”
He counts down, ‘three, two, one,” and then blurts out “f_ _ _”. “Whoa,” thinks the assisting teacher. She speaks to the head teacher who cautions her to be careful about censuring Johnny for his language and repercussions it might have with the family.
So let’s let this straight. The teacher can’t say Christmas or Santa, but ‘f_ _ _’ is an acceptable politically correct sword.
Well, the assisting teacher did tell Johnny that while it might be acceptable to talk that way at home (and maybe not), in front of his classmates it is unacceptable. Period. I think next year the little girl will be going to private school.
BUT…the good news is that while folks may wonder what is happening in our world there are people like the assistant teacher who are a ‘light for the world’ as Jesus mentions we should be in the Sermon on the Mount.
While there is much that goes awry in our world there is much that is good. Now, a small group of us have taken to pray for Johnny (not his real name but God knows him and loves him.)
The world in many ways experiences a darkness of the mind. Thank God for a mom who brings some light into the darkness. Oh, that reminds me of a verse from Isaiah 1:2 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (speaking of the time when Christ would come into the world.)
May God in this season grant such light on ALL of us. And may the name of Jesus be introduced into Johnny’s life with even more strength and endurance than some of the other words he has learned. And may Johnny and all of us discover more deeply the love of Christ. Amen
Grace Matters 
With what is going on in the world today I’m not surprised, I bet a lot more of his classmates have heard or used the word
But the Good News is that there are better words that God’s people can be using to encourage and affirm.
“And the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.” The darkness will never comprehend the Light until the Light returns to establish His Kingdom from David’s throne at Yahweh’s appointed time. As such, to put it crudely, we ain’t seen nothing yet.
I’m going out on a limb (not really) to say that the Kingdom has come in Christ and is progressing toward its total fulfillment when all creation will be restored and EVERYONE reconciled to God.
Thank you George for your constant illumination. The worshipers of the dark are blind. They see nor care where they go. I pray for them. In the end they will have their darkness. In the end we will have our light. God bless you.