I spent many years as an eighth grade American History teacher. It was great! The kind in my classes thought that, for me at least, the sun rose and set on teaching history. Thaat impression helped breathe life into what might have been for many a dead subject. (My "farm stories" maybe helped, too.) The challenges, however, were intensified during the Vietnam years when historic perspective was the last thing the militant cavilian set would tolerate.

Gradually, over the years since, our country seems to have largely lost its historic narrative and substance. So many in our nation have devoted themselves to shallow pursuits that gratify the moment. Not surprisingly, our country has also been experiencing a loss of substantive educational purpose in our schools as well.

The question then looms, "What about education children receive in parochial (Lutheran, catholic, Baptist, etc.) schools?" Are they getting caught up in complementing the shallow fixations of life in America today...and losing substantive purpose as well? Parochial schools in America have a long heritage of participating with Christian homes and churches in perpetuating the core and substance of God's Word from generation to generation through our children. We hope and pray that this will continue uninterrupted until the day of our Lord's return.

But times have changed. Christians, long noted for standing on the sidelines of social concerns, now need to better exemplify the Word in their lives for the world to follow...or they will lose purpose. They have historically often restricted their focus to their own as a people who are in the world but not of the world. Let the world's structures and those who live bu them crumble all around us, we stand firm on the Word of God, we proclaim.

It is time for that firm stand on the Word of God to more clearly show in our lives. The world, our nation, and our communities need to know the compassion and strength of our God, the security and peace found only in Him. A Sunday morning piety, alone, just won't do. There can be no compromising the love of Jesus. It can not be hidden within the lives of Christians. If it is within us, it will show on the outside for all the world to see, lived out in the lives of Christians everywhere, full time and in every place.

Purpose for a person, a school system, or nation is found only in Jesus Christ...our Savior. A part of His(s)tory, in Him we have an eternal heritage.