There are students at school who do not desire popularity but reflect a maturity and Christ likeness that some adults never attain. At an age when being accepted by the group is seen as so important there are those who, rather, look at for the lonely, the uncool and others on the fringe. These students understand what it means to be selfless.
I admire these young people because they have grasped what it means to follow Christ.
As a teacher it is easy to be swamped with the needs of the moment. There are demanding students, either from a behavioural or learning perspective. We can be blind to the student who is quietly reflecting Jesus in their daily life. They are in the schoolyard befriending the lonely, being aware of, and coming along side, the student with the personal trauma. These students are aware of their teachers’ human needs and encourage them with a word or gesture. They can be seen sharing in games with younger students and drawing them into community. I am privileged to know a number of young people like this and I am humbled by them.
I admire these young people because they have already grasped what it means to be counter cultural. Their values and beliefs are anchored in a Christ shaped view of the world. So often, we Christian adults try to keep a foot in each world. We have learned the “arts” of compromise and pragmatism. Whereas it is a joy see that that the Word and Spirit of God has already, at a young age, formed the new Jeremiahs, Daniels and Timothys for the C21st.
Travels from Ur 