Character- a personal or collective responsibility?
A headline in one of today's UK newspapers announces "Schools to trial happiness lessons for eight year olds" https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/12/schools-to-trial-happiness-lessons-for-eight-year-olds
There is growing concern among many who work with children and young people about the rise in mental health issues, and the UK government has decided to put funding into programmes which offer mental health training in schools.
This news raises questions about the role of government, and education. Is the mental health of a nation the responsibility of its government? How effective is it to offer lessons in mindfulness at school? Who developed the programmes that are being introduced, and what is the underlying vision of a healthy person that they present?
This next week of Lent I want to consider how God began to deal with a nation, to form a people who would be a witness to the world of how to live a good life. Their education began not in a classroom but on the run, as Moses led their escape from Egypt in the book of Exodus. As they wandered in the wilderness, on their way to a new land, God began His programme of teaching them through words and deeds.
The Lord called to Moses from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."
Exodus 19: 3-6
Exodus is clear that learning how to live well is to be undertaken by the whole nation, not left to individuals. That nation would be known as a holy nation, living the way that God meant his creatures to live.
This is not just a long-ago injunction to a tribe of Middle Eastern nomads...Peter uses the same words to describe all those who follow Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you might proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
1 Peter 2: 9
It seems that cultivating character is something to be done together....God is interested not only in developing holy individuals, but holy nations, communities of people who together are living in the light.
There is growing concern among many who work with children and young people about the rise in mental health issues, and the UK government has decided to put funding into programmes which offer mental health training in schools.
This news raises questions about the role of government, and education. Is the mental health of a nation the responsibility of its government? How effective is it to offer lessons in mindfulness at school? Who developed the programmes that are being introduced, and what is the underlying vision of a healthy person that they present?
This next week of Lent I want to consider how God began to deal with a nation, to form a people who would be a witness to the world of how to live a good life. Their education began not in a classroom but on the run, as Moses led their escape from Egypt in the book of Exodus. As they wandered in the wilderness, on their way to a new land, God began His programme of teaching them through words and deeds.
The Lord called to Moses from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the Israelites: You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation."
Exodus 19: 3-6
Exodus is clear that learning how to live well is to be undertaken by the whole nation, not left to individuals. That nation would be known as a holy nation, living the way that God meant his creatures to live.
This is not just a long-ago injunction to a tribe of Middle Eastern nomads...Peter uses the same words to describe all those who follow Christ.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that you might proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
1 Peter 2: 9
It seems that cultivating character is something to be done together....God is interested not only in developing holy individuals, but holy nations, communities of people who together are living in the light.
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