Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage.” The question that begs an answer is, “Is this present play a drama or a comedy?” Only last week the New York Times reported that 3,700 of New York’s 10,000 deaths attributed to the Coronavirus had never even been tested; the rationale was since people died during the pandemic, they must have died from it. Scientific? Hardly. More like assumption. Still, the powers that be tell us that we must follow the facts. Really? The apocalyptic, computer-generated models are constantly being readjusted as their reliability is based solely on the data that goes into them. The bottom line is we will never know the true extent of the Coronavirus, whether it was better or worse than we thought. So, what does this have to do with homeschooling our children?
We must, as Proverbs 23:23 says, teach our children to “Get the facts at any price …” (TLB) Why is this important? Because facts are from God and theories are from man. The former is always true, and the latter is often wrong. Theories grow like weeds, popping up everywhere. Still worse, sincere yet gullible people are making important decisions based on these theories and often end up in tragic straits. For example, some of John Paul Sartre’s philosophies were adopted by Cambodia’s Pol Pot which materialized in the Killing Fields of Cambodia where as many as one fourth of the Cambodian population was killed in a few short years. Theories, like ideas, have consequences. Sadly, Sartre himself ultimately rejected some of his own theories as he aged. This, however, did not bring back the people who suffered for his ideologies.
This is why homeschooling parents must teach their children to think for themselves. We need to guide them in proper book choices as well as curriculum. There will be times when they will think wrong thoughts, and that is when we lovingly, patiently, and intentionally lead them to truth (facts). Homeschooling parents must not be intimidated by the culture and all the adulation culture bestows on its heroes; nor can we put our head in the sand as we then present the devil with an easy target.
The true story is told of a well-known professor in the latter 1800’s who was doing some study on the shores of Massachusetts. When asked about a certain fish that he had not observed, the professor answered immediately and confidently that of the two fins (back and tail) the back fin was the one that often protruded from the water. A lad of ten years old, having seen the fish for himself, corrected the professor. The people laughed and the professor condescended the boy’s youth and innocence.
Not to be so easily impressed as his elders with the professor’s reputation, he spent four hours each day for the next two days with his face flat to the waters surface looking for the elusive fish. On the third day he spotted his prey and, just as he had said, the tail fin was the one sticking out of the water. The teacher became the pupil as the professor approached the shoreline and saw for himself. His grand and arrogant theory was shot to pieces by one fact of a ten-year old who would not be intellectually bullied.
Isaiah 40:8 states the facts of God’s Word stand forever. We must, by the grace of God, instill within the hearts and minds of our children the knowledge that men produce, proffer, and pontificate thousands of theories, but any that run contrary to the Bible will fall ultimately fail. We must base our decisions on the rock solid facts of the inspired Word.
Today it is the Coronavirus that is tossing mankind to and fro on the waves of uncertainty, but tomorrow will present new challenges with new names. May we use this time to talk around the dinner table in order to instruct our children to kindly, yet doggedly, stand on the facts of the Holy Scriptures. This is life preparation. This is home discipleship.
-300x147.jpg)
