This morning I received an email with a challenge from Linda Harvey Kelley, a long-time missionary friend.  As I thought about the critical question posed and the response needed, I realized it was really one that reflected worldview. 

The question came from a book Linda was reading.  Let me share it with you.

"Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe." p. 309

This MK says on p. 197 "...it was still greed. That's what really ran the world, wasn't it? Greed for money, greed for power, greed for the most converts. Hitler, Rockefeller, missionaries ~ the one thing they all had in common was numbers. The more countries you conquered, the larger your bank account, the more souls you saved, the greater your reward in heaven. More, more, more. That's all anybody really wanted."

Then Linda threw out this challenge: “I would like to hear your response, if you are willing to respond to her words, published just this year. Thanks.”

Since this question about “what really ran the world” and the suggested answer of “greed” is such an important and provocative one, I decided to share my response with anyone who cared to listen. 

So here goes…

“Linda - an interesting thought.  I think the real question here is not 'numbers' but 'motive' and the defining attitude not always 'greed' but sometimes 'passion'. 

Passion can drive one just as much as greed, and when the motive is noble, honest, humane, and divinely inspired, it cannot be greed because it is not centered on self.”

But then my mind carried me further to the more pressing issue at hand.  The issue for me was no longer an opinion someone had, but the fact that the opinion was so contrary to what it should have been.  So I wrote:

“Sadly, it appears that Tamar Myer never had parents or other missionaries who modeled that infectious element called passion or some circumstance in life has clouded her perception and caused her to see everything through the lens of self.

What a challenge to all of us with passion and kids!”

Statistics everywhere point to an increasing number of children and young adults intentionally leaving the faith of their family at home.  Reasons given vary widely, but clearly authenticity is at the heart of the debate. 

I believe that authentic relationships with Jesus Christ promote passionate, selfless living. But what makes the critical difference on how our children embrace Jesus Christ is when our authentic faith is coupled with a genuine passion for them… as well as helping them see a bigger world in need of Jesus.

May God help us work with passion to win our own children and all the rest who don’t have any authentic Christians in their lives.

RENEWANATION is committed to offering every child a Christian worldview. 

To learn more, visit Renewanation.org

Every generation is called upon to make tough decisions.  But history reveals that some decisions leave more lasting consequences than others.  This is perhaps especially true when it comes to decisions on matters of faith.

Historically, decisions of spiritual consequence led to the formation of edicts, thesis, or creeds, all of which articulated positions that the signers vowed they would not compromise. Examples include: The Apostles Creed, The Nicene Creed (325), Martin Luther’s 95 Thesis (1517), The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), The Philadelphia Confession (1742), and The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy (1978).

Other less formal but equally powerful movements have shaped the spiritual and social dynamic of the world.  The relatively recent history of Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) and the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement is an example.  King’s courage and conviction led to a mass struggle for racial equality that doomed segregation and has thankfully changed America forever.

These “lines in the sand” of the liturgical, political, and cultural morality of their day required bold conviction.  Because much was at stake, the price of declaration was almost always costly.  But people stood and history was shaped.

Christians, when they have lived up to the highest ideals of their faith, have always defended the weak and vulnerable and have worked tirelessly to protect and strengthen vital institutions of civil society, beginning with the family.

But recent liturgical, political, and cultural climates in America have given ample cause for alarm.  Many of us have said aloud or under our breath, “Something has to change!” But like in every generation, real moral change only comes when people stand up with conviction and draw their own “line in the sand”.  And here we see the real battle in America today!

The contrast and battle we are witnessing in America is not between Republicans and Democrats.  Neither is it a battle of differing religion.  Our constitution still guarantees us those political and religious freedoms.  No, it is much larger than that.  It is clearly a battle of worldviews.  It is a battle of ideas and values and basic faith which potentially threaten all that is historically American.

But in recent weeks another significant statement called the Manhattan Declaration has been formed as a response.  Written by three scholars, this declaration was initially signed by over 150 of America’s leading Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christian figures.  Now its influence is sweeping the country as thousands more line up to make their pledge to uphold the values declared. 

The call is “to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are:

1. the sanctity of human life
2. the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife
3. the rights of conscience and religious liberty.

Inasmuch as these truths are foundational to human dignity and the well-being of society, they are inviolable and non-negotiable. Because they are increasingly under assault from powerful forces in our culture, we are compelled today to speak out forcefully in their defense, and to commit ourselves to honoring them fully no matter what pressures are brought upon us and our institutions to abandon or compromise them. We make this commitment not as partisans of any political group but as followers of Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lord, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  

I support this declaration because the truths proclaimed in the Manhattan Declaration come out of a Biblical, Christian worldview.  If you would like to read the full Manhattan Declaration for yourself and sign your own commitment, go to: www.manhattandeclaration.org

What will we stand for?  

The vision of RENEWANATION is to offer every child a Christian worldview. 

A Christian worldview is a comprehensive understanding of the world that is formed by the authority of the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ.

We believe K-12 education is a time to formulate and strengthen foundational concepts of worldview that will serve as points of reference and strength throughout all of life.

We are strongly committed to living and teaching Christian worldview because we believe it is foundational to healthy families and to society as a whole. 

Frankly, we believe that unless we reach today's children with Christian values, our wonderful American heritage of faith and freedom will cease to be part of the social fiber for future generations.  We simply must not let that happen.  It would be tragic for those generations and would not honor God.   

Our task is God-sized, but we are confident that God is calling and will enable us to get the job done.  So we too are drawing the “line in the sand.”  I invite you to join us!

For more information, www.renewanation.org

The Family Foundation joined several other organizations today in releasing a survey conducted on behalf of the Friedman Foundation showing widespread support for a variety of school choice proposals.  The survey, conducted in October, shows that while Virginians support public schools, they also support education freedom and choice.

The survey results found broad support among Democrats, Republicans and Independents for tax-credit scholarship programs and school vouchers.  Democrats indicate support for tax-credit scholarships (64%) and school vouchers (53%).  They are more likely to favor rather than oppose these policies by +43 percentage points and +15 percentage points, respectively.   

Victoria Cobb, President of The Family Foundation and a member of RENEWANATION’s Advisory Board, commented:

"Interestingly, while the survey found that 62% of Virginians believe the public school system is “good” or “excellent,” when given the choice between sending their child to a public school or an alternative (private, charter or homeschooling) 54% said they would choose the alternative.  Among parents with children currently attending a public school, 40% would keep their children there while 39% would choose an alternative.  Currently, 90% of Virginia’s school children attend public schools.

Another interesting note from the survey found that younger Virginians, those just out of school or in parenting years, are more supportive of education choice than older Virginians.  In other words, those closest to the public schools are less likely to want their kids to attend them.

Not surprisingly, 65% of those surveyed also drastically underestimated how much Virginia spends to educate public school children.  While 28% believed the cost to be between $3001 and $6000 and 19% believed it to be less than $3000, the actual 2007 school year figure was nearly $12,000 per student.  It’s no wonder that polls show Virginians support more funding for public education when two-thirds underestimate it by two or three times the actual number.

Clearly Virginians want education freedom.  The issue of school choice is not a public vs. private debate, it is simply about the best opportunity for every child and parents’ rights to make that choice. 

As I told our Gala audience last month, while charter schools are certainly a widely supported idea and Virginia’s charter school law needs changing, we can’t stop there.  Virginia’s kids deserve the best education possible – public or private or home or charter – and they deserve it now.  It’s time for the education establishment to stop being obstructionists and instead join the fight for education freedom in Virginia."

RENEWANATION is a grassroots effort committed to helping parents with tough educational choices by offering every child a Christian worldview.  Make your voice heard and join thousands more in the effort to make this vision a reality. 

For more information and ways to help, contact www.renewanation.org