INTRODUCTION
Welcome, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, to Teachers Talking for Term 4, entitled “Culture: Making Sense of our Times”.
Last term we explored how important it is for us to be immersed in the Scripture, for the very process of nurturing a school culture and designing learning that flows from one’s deeply held Biblical beliefs is a picture of redemption at work.
As 2021 draws to a close, we reflect back on a year of challenge as we live in a world with the COVID pandemic, but also with the consequences of a culture that has lost its moorings and is adrift in confusion. Few influences in life are as life-impacting as the power of culture. It is now a world far less certain and more threatening than for previous generations. Parents are fearful for their children in regard to their mental health, as well as issues facing our nation.
Our culture is in a monumental battle for its very soul, and this is leaving our young people with irrational definitions of life and no transcendent point of reference for life’s coherence. There is a yearning and a restless search for a better story that will satisfy the impoverished spirit.
As Christian teachers, we can rejoice that the Lord has called us to be part of the battle for the hearts and minds of our children. By seeking to understand our current cultural dilemma under God, we can rise more responsibly to proclaim to our students His redemptive purpose to restore their humanity. As we journey through the thinking that is shaping our present, we can offer a cultural soil where our students can sprout as those loved by God.
We trust these talks will assist you to explore with your students the days in which they live and to see the wonder and riches of God’s love and wisdom found in Christ for such a time as this.
Thank you for being with us this year. May you have a blessed and hope-filled Christmas and New Year as you rejoice in the love of Christ who sets us free to be His people.
“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no-one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.” Colossians 2: 7,8
Grace and Peace
The TEC Team