Needing Nehemiah

I try to keep my head down, but the stuff comes at me anyway.

I blogged recently about Ezra, so this one had to be Nehemiah.

I am stunned. Haven't been so angry about a school issue in a long time, if ever. Quite frankly, I think three images tells the story.

My daughter came home today with a homework assignment. The below two images are the front and back side of the assignment.

Then I did my homework.

Enough said?

Maybe not! And that alone speaks volumes for our time.

But for those puzzled by my outrage, here's the decoder ring.

Followers of any and all of three main world faiths (Judaism, Islam and Christianity) consider it sheer anathema to worship ancestors. Idolatrous in all the worst meanings to create a literal shrine with an altar upon which to place (for worship) anything at all.

I suppose I have to note that some wings of Christianity support the veneration of saints and prayers given to them. But that's not worship, and in any case this is not a practice I am keen on.

Even more to the point, the box is not a neutral object.

It's a Butsudan - a Buddhist altar!

My child has been asked (IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL) to create an altar suitable for another religion.

And place a photo of someone she reveres on/in it.

I haven't worked out yet how to respond to this, but will be doing so soon. (I don't have a lot of time. This assignment is due on Friday!)

One thing is sure. Nehemiah would not have put up with this.

I will seek to react as Daniel did, responding with tact and grace.

Daniel 2:14
When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.

But God help us, we need some Nehemiahs in our midst.

Nehemiah 13:25
I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.

I'm tempted to chuckle. No, no desire here to go out and beat people up. I don't want to pull anyone's hair out. And we live in a pluralistic society. Christianity was in any case born a minority religion.

No, I don't want to implement Nehemiah's reforms in our world. I want to see his zeal in God's church. When Christianity was born, its stated goal was not to overthrown the Romans and impose Christian ethics on an unwilling world. The goal was to build the church of Jesus Christ, one willing soul at a time.

The day may come when homework assignments like this will seem ordinary and tame. To the world.

But why on earth does the church not recognize that this is not acceptable stuff for our children?

For a little while longer, we have a say in the matter. We live in a democracy. While we have a say, we should speak. And when we no longer have a say (and that day is surely coming), we should withdraw.

But we do neither. We assimilate.

When will the church wake up and recognize that we have married our surrounding culture no less than Nehemiah's people had married the culture surrounding them.

Nehemiah woke the Israelites up.

Can we wake up?

Jesus asked at one point what happens when salt loses its flavoring.

We're finding out.

Finding out right now.