From a post written by Faustin Weber:
Trying to put some thoughts to my Teen Faith Group this week. With that on my mind:
Too often we are not bold enough in our aspirations for our students! CS Lewis, in Mere Christianity, gives us an arresting analogy for the Christian life, which I believe beautifully summarizes the mission of our schools. Imagine, Lewis says, we are living in a house:
"God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, we understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the house and so on; you knew those jobs needed to be done so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on Earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one we thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. We thought we were being made into a decent little cottage but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
Highschool is a time of genuine growth and character development for teenagers. With an elevated vision of what's possible for them, with a clear understanding that genuine growth includes the development of their bodies, characters and spirits, we believe that God can truly build palaces - cathedrals even - in the lives of our students and they, in turn, can turn his love outward in a life of learning and service to others.
Optimistic? You bet.
But it's not superficial "polly-annish" optimism that believes that teenagers will always be gushingly positive and happy throughout their years with us. Growing up is tough. When God starts knocking about the house, as CS Lewis reminds us, it hurts. This is the time we must be bold as a school, convinced of our mission. There will be times when teens cling to their childishness. There will be occasions hen students don't do well on a test or when they come home in tears over what someone said. At times, they may feel estranged from us. During these times, let us take the long view. Remember that a teenager's best friend can become an enemy in a day, a teenager's favorite teacher can become a villian in one class. The life of a teenager is rollercoaster, but our job is to stay the course.
Our audacious optimism in kids, after all, is born out of our abiding belief in God's grace and the magnificent things he can do with teenagers if they're placed in a culture that challenges them to live their faith, stretch for their goals, and provides support to them when they stumble.
If we can create such a culture, the sky's the limit for them.
