Dual: two; consisting of two parts; two elements; two aspects.
In the process of choosing “the right” high school, it is common to spend a significant amount of time considering the programs that will be available to your son or daughter. After all, the thinking goes, I want them to have as many opportunities as possible so that they can broaden their learning, broaden their perspective, and have the potential to participate in something that will give them an edge, even if it’s tiny, over the “competition” for access to a good college.
Sometimes we’ll even weigh the known “success” stories a school has been able to achieve: how many students have gone on to Harvard, or how many state championship teams they have had, or the average score their students achieve on the ACT.
Beyond that, a few will consider whether their son or daughter knows any of the kids at the school or has any friends that will make the social experience meaningful. But with that done, the assessment is pretty much complete.
With all the right boxes “checked,” a decision should be pretty straight forward, right? Well, yes, as long as you are willing to accept a hard fast fact that goes with this kind of assessment: You are in support of Dualism.
What? What’s that? It is the belief and culturally pervasive mantra that all of life should be boiled down to two categories. Keep in mind though that these aren’t small categories, they’re gigantic! The two (dual) categories are God and non-God.
I’ll keep it simple. Dualism is common. To the naïve it even sounds kind of respectful. That is, as long as you don’t worry about its absence of respect to the God of the universe – the One we know in and through Jesus. Dualism says it’s perfectly fine for you to worship, talk about, and pray to that God as long as you do it someplace other
than at school. You see, Dualism contends that school is a non-God space. Dualism demands that you tell your child that school is a place where virtually anything goes, except God. Your child must leave God at home.
Dualism is firm in its proclamation that God is just fine as long as He remains in your private world. Sure, go ahead and believe, but don’t bring that belief into the “public” part of your life.
Seriously? Is that how Christians are supposed to live? “Well,” you might say, “we have to play well in the sandbox with others, so maybe we should just tone down our God-stuff in certain places like school and work.”
Really? Stop for a moment and reflect on our calling. As followers of Christ, we know far more than just the story of our redemption from sin, as vital as that story is. We also know that He is Lord over everything. In other words, there is NO SUCH THING as a non-God space.
So, I ask you. . .why on earth would you choose to place your child in the care of life-mentors (i.e. teachers) that fully support the company line that God is not permitted in public spaces, that Jesus is great as long as you keep him only in your heart and in your home, but not in one of the most influential places in a child’s life: school?
Jesus Christ reigns, and Mayer Lutheran exists to make that known in ALL the spheres of life – public as well as private.
To learn more about Mayer Lutheran High School, contact me to schedule a visit, a more in-depth discussion, a meeting, or a student Shadow Day. I’m looking forward to mentoring your child in a fully Christ honoring way that leads to life.
Dan Perrel
Director of Enrollment
dan.perrel@mayerlutheran.org
952-452-2351 cell
