It’s an unfortunate truth that kids can get bullied or marginalized no matter where you send them to school or how hard you work to protect them from it. I attended a Baptist K-8 school. Someone close to me was bullied so badly there that she ultimately had to finish her 8th grade year at home via video series. The kids in her class once passed around a list of the girls ranked from prettiest to ugliest. Her name was at the very bottom. At a class pool party, she insecurely entered the hot tub only for everyone to quickly scramble out of it and accuse her of turning the water green. She’s in her 40s now and has done tremendous work to be at peace in her own skin, but it’s been a lifelong struggle, coupled with the comorbidity of childhood sexual trauma. But these are her stories to tell. The point is that wounds like these can leave lifelong scars that dramatically alter the course of a child’s life.
Reading this the morning after hearing my son tell me the awful things his schoolmates say to him. I’m proud of him for not lashing back and perpetuating the cycle, but I gotta admit I kinda want him to. It’s an Int’l school (I live outside the US) and a so-called Christian one at that. Thanks for writing this.
great article again. I think one of the most dangerous places for Christian kids can be a Christian school because we expect Christian love and acceptance there. I much prefer grace to a Christian Worldview and when it comes to the theological lack of grace in so many of our circles for those of us in a different theological camp, I have no words. Why is grace lacking in the one place (Christian churches, camps, schools, etc) that it should be exemplified? And what does that lack of grace do to having a theology that is anywhere near to being correct? Correct theology comes only from a heart of grace.
Reading this the morning after hearing my son tell me the awful things his schoolmates say to him. I’m proud of him for not lashing back and perpetuating the cycle, but I gotta admit I kinda want him to. It’s an Int’l school (I live outside the US) and a so-called Christian one at that. Thanks for writing this.
I'm blown away by the fortitude you are both exhibiting--and I am praying. Hard.
Great article. Praying for Tristan and for you.
Blessings, Beth
great article again. I think one of the most dangerous places for Christian kids can be a Christian school because we expect Christian love and acceptance there. I much prefer grace to a Christian Worldview and when it comes to the theological lack of grace in so many of our circles for those of us in a different theological camp, I have no words. Why is grace lacking in the one place (Christian churches, camps, schools, etc) that it should be exemplified? And what does that lack of grace do to having a theology that is anywhere near to being correct? Correct theology comes only from a heart of grace.