Wait, People Think 2 + 2 = 5?

Things nowadays are messed up – especially in schools.

Most people above the age of 5 will know that 2 + 2 = 4. That said, sometimes there are even simpler things in life that just don’t add up. So what’s the problem?

God has been taken out of our schools.

All in all, this is the root of the issue. Schools today, the kids in them, and the things that are taught in them can get twisted because God has been taken out of the picture. Some of the ideologies and ways of thinking that are being put forth are almost as ludicrous as believing that 2 + 2 = 5.

I recently read a book discussing this very topic. See, back in the day, when the USA and Canada were fledgling colonies, schools and what was taught in them were based on Christian principles.

My parents told me that when they were in school the day would begin with Bible reading and saying the Lord’s Prayer. Now in the local school division we have to sign petitions to allow kids to leave their classrooms for half an hour to get religious instruction. How did God go from something everyone did together to something you have to leave your classroom to do?

When we lose God, we lose everything.

Up until the early 1900’s, Christian beliefs were, for the most part, upheld in schools. Then new ways of thinking came around. At first, things like evolution were merely proposed as an idea of how we came to be. Now it’s “fact”, and if you believe otherwise you’re considered crazy.

There are other ideologies that have made their way into our schools as well that have changed teenagers’ views on sex, their bodies and their identities.

People say it’s for the better.

Let me tell you in all honesty that it isn’t – not from the Bible’s point of view, at least. The things we let kids believe can be detrimental to them both physically and mentally. Things that leave lasting marks on the bodies and souls of kids. Just take a look at all the mental health challenges today.

But that isn’t where I’m trying to go with this. This truth is:

We need God in our schools.

As I said before, we can trace a portion of today’s issues with kids back to the removal of God from our schools. Although honestly, the same can be said about removing God from any area of society. How about the government, for one?

What’s the solution?

We need God in the school system. Things are bad now, but they’re only going to get worse. We need to make a stand today – before it’s too late.

Remember though, it’s not the teachers we’re fighting, it’s not the superintendents, it’s not even the people designing the curriculum. Please don’t hear me saying that – I know a lot of phenomenal teachers who are working to counteract what’s happening in today’s schools.

As Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) says:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

It’s not people we’re fighting – it’s the devil. And he plays by his own rulebook. We’re in his playground – literally – and he’s using his influence to corrupt the next generation. To twist our sense of right and wrong. To make us think 2 + 2 = 5.

It’s up to us to make a difference.

Not next year, not in ten years. Right now. We need to spread Jesus’ light to a system that so desperately needs Him. Before it’s too late.

For those of you who are in school right now, just think about how many hours you spend there per week. Instead of focusing on slugging through them, what if you thought about those hours as hours in which you could spread Jesus’ light?

We may be – no, we are – the only hope the school system has. If we don’t strive for change, if we don’t talk politely to teachers, spread Jesus’ love, and use our influence for good, then we are only contributing to the problem.

What can you do in your school to shine the light of Jesus?