6. To ‘LOVE and to be LOVED’

How might this become a major foundation of a school community?

Loving our community, including our students, is not simply going to be about how we express care and kindness, although, it does include that. Almost universally Christian Schools are seen to have a high level of care for students.

When we understand and recognize that the love God is not only an emotion, but a conscious and deliberate choice solely determined by His will, we are challenged to re-evaluate how we love others. There is nothing in us that makes us deserving of God’s love. If we recognise that God’s love is not determined by our worthiness and is not conditional upon having that love returned – our view of others changes radically. There are no unlovable people.

Donovan Graham, (2003) mentions three ways that our love will be expressed.

Firstly. Through offering forgiveness. This is not just teachers offering forgiveness for misbehaviour by students. Rather it is cultivating a classroom culture that has a readiness to forgive each other. This is NOT to overlook wrongs. There needs to be a recognition of our common sinfulness and tendency to wrong thinking and action. But we are called to “Forgive as we have been forgiven.”(Eph 4:32)

Secondly, God demonstrates His love for us by doing what is just and good. The basis of our “doing good” is to live in a way that demonstrates our love for God and our love for others.

So, doing good, is not just “not doing bad”!

How are we going to develop a school and classroom culture that rejoices in doing good to all people?

Graham suggests that the third way that God shows His love is through sacrifice. Sacrifice is a giving of self for the benefit of others.

Teachers have always known that their vocation involves sacrifice. No-one becomes a teacher because it’s easy or comfortable.

But sacrifice that arises from love means that we want a classroom and school community where students and teachers will sacrificially give for the benefit of each other.

All these things are counter to the prevailing climate of entitlement and individual comfort. The school and classroom that is based upon loving and being loved will be a blessed place.

 

Blessings
Brian

 

 

Reference:

  1. Graham, D. (2003). Teaching Redemptively. Purposeful Design Publications.