A Refuge for Our Children – Proverbs 14:26-27

My white American friend and her husband adopted two black children some years ago.  Needless to say, recent events have awakened their concern for the America their children live in and how they will experience it differently than their white children.  They send their kids to Harding Academy, a Christian school in the Church of Christ tradition.  She recently posted Harding’s statement about racial justice on Facebook.  In part it reads,

“As we have watched recent events, we are reminded that not all experiences in our country are equal. We are reminded that there are spaces, moments, and systems when men and women, boys and girls are judged by the color of their skin, rather than by the Image of God within them.

Sadly, there have been numerous examples in our country that are stark reminders of continued inequality and tragic dehumanization of God’s image bearers.

Harding Academy stands on the Biblical truth of justice. We stand with centuries of Christ-followers who have followed the words of Isaiah and of Jesus “to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Part of her training of her children in God’s wisdom is sending them to a school that cares about racial justice.

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. (Proverbs 14:26–27, ESV)

Can you think of anything better to bequeath to the next generation than a confidence to do what is right?  But how would the next generation learn such confidence?  It will only happen if we teach them out of our own experience of confidently doing what is right.  We must fear the Lord and experience the life that flows from knowing Him in this way.  We must lead the way in turning from the snares of death.

In Myanmar today there is a Muslim people group among this otherwise Buddhist population that is being systematically persecuted.  It is so bad that they have been fleeing as refugees across the border to Bangladesh.  A famous woman politician who made her mark by fighting for the rights of others has turned a blind eye to the plight of the Rohingyas.  Our government and the governments of many other nations have spoken into this situation to no avail.  The Pope just visited and did not directly mention the Rohingyas but sought to speak into this situation.

What would you or I do if we were living there?  What if we had been living in Nazi Germany?  Or Rwanda?  Would we have responded to injustice in those places?  What about the injustice in our own country, and how are we setting an example of fearing God right where we live?  The fear of Yahweh gives one strong confidence.  Do we really fear Him?

Do our children see us standing for the injustices against African Americans?  How about the injustices against gay or trans individuals?  Do we justify injustice against those who do not live lifestyles congruent with Scripture?  What does that teach our children?