Back to School

By Zach Chronley

1 John 4:7

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”

It’s mid-August, and any other year in our lifetime, this is the time of the year where the majority of the world is preparing to return to the normal rhythms of the school year. Whether as a student, teacher, or parent we all have new challenges we will have to learn how to overcome. This week for many is the first week of schooling either online or in person. And yet instead of familiarity, we are all experiencing a season of firsts and newness that can be frightening and challenging.

Novel Coronavirus is not the only invisible enemy people are currently fighting. After 35 million Americans have lost their jobs since the lockdown, many are losing necessary unemployment payments and are struggling with what to do. Some families are considering one member losing their jobs in order to be able to help their children with remote learning. Some teachers are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of being exposed and bringing a virus into the lives of their loved ones. Schools reopening has become a highly divisive topic.

While we may desire different outcomes, here’s the truth we need to cling to: we’re not truly fighting against each other. Ephesians 6:12 reminds us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” And we do well to remember that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44). Because the devil desires to divide us and set us against one another as enemies, the best and true way to win this war is to love our enemies.

Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are examples of how when you love your enemies they may become your friends. If you are a parent, teachers are not your enemy. Teachers, the parents that are desperate for their children to return to school are also not your enemies. We need to love one another and we need each other’s help. Much of what we see that appears to be hateful is spoken from a place of fear and uncertainty. People cling to ideologies in times of uncertainty, but instead of spending our time and energy trying to prove one another wrong we should be loving and praying for one another. The Bible says to “bless and do not curse” even those who are persecuting you (Rom 12:14)!

Others that have fled from social media or never engaged are fighting against a powerful sense of isolation. Even in quarantine no one needs to be alone. So much of the reckless behavior our instinct to condemn one another for begins with an individual feeling isolated. The answer for all of us isn’t to disengage from the world and run into our own personal spaces, but instead to engage the world in a more intentional and personal way.

Check up 

One of the best things we can do during this time is check up on one another. First, simply ask how they are. We have fewer natural channels of interacting with people these days, so a simple act of reaching out can go a long way. Consider asking a teacher or a parent if they need anything? Ask if they want to talk online or on the phone, or even socially distanced in person. Some people’s greatest needs right now are to be known and connecting with each other can do incredible things for our souls.

Many parents are feeling the weight of parenthood and are in need of real encouragement. Singles are fighting against discontentment and desire more community. And we know the enemy is always attempting to break down marriages. More than ever, we need to be going out of our way to encourage and speak life into one another.

Invite

We need to invite others into community with us. Ask if they are currently in community. If they were not already plugged into a community group or a regular gathering, the pandemic has made this more intimidating than ever for many people. It’s hard to find a new group, but it’s easy to respond to a personal invitation. Be an inviter. This time has magnified many people’s social anxiety. Make your invitations as small as they need to be, some aren’t ready to join a community group, but don’t give up on them. Love your neighbor where they are, not where you desire them to be. 

A college student, a young adult, or even a young family may have no family in the area. We may be able to serve as a surrogate family in this time, but only if we’re intentional. Delivering a home-cooked meal, or a handwritten letter, all these small gestures go a long way towards real relationships. People don’t need a friendly community group, they need friends. 

Be generous 

Let’s think about what we have, and then let’s be generous! God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7). While few of us may have much to give, each of us may have what someone else needs, and we may never know until we are made aware. Consider donating an older laptop to someone you know that needs it in order to participate in remote learning. If you have time, maybe God is calling you to help your neighbors’ kids through tutoring? Many teachers buy supplies out of their own pockets, so consider seeing if your teacher friends are in need of anything and how you can help. Donate directly to help buy supplies and backpacks for students. Send a teacher or parent a gift card to a coffee shop. We may not be able to fully solve the problems of our neighbors, but we can show love and support our friends in their struggles.

There’s no single formula on how to love our neighbors in this time, but we know we are called to love in “deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). There are forces conspiring to divide us, but we know the truth that gives us a peace in knowing our God through Jesus and as Romans 8:38-39 reminds us, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”