Faithviews

Does God Suffer?

By Dr. Jeffrey Johnson

Dr. Jeffrey Johnson is a humanitarian, author, and sought-after lecturer on Jewish roots and Bible Prophecy. He was a pastor for over 17 years and received his Master’s Degree from Moody Bible Institute and his Doctorate from Louisiana Baptist University. He is a member of the American Society of Church History as well as Evangelical Theological Society. He has authored several books including God Was There, Childhood of Jesus, and Life After Death: What Happens Next? His latest book, The Moses Papers, will be released this fall. For more information visit www.IsraelTodayMinistries.org.

The last few years, we have found ourselves in a position to minister to and comfort the suffering people of Israel, both Jews and Arabs. We have helped those who have lost their homes in northern Israel, being victims of rockets launched from Hezbollah's lair in Lebanon. We have wept with families who lost their children in suicide bombings. Daily, the school children in Israel race to bomb shelters when they hear the "red color" sirens sounding the alarm that Hamas in Gaza fired more rockets into their town. They wet their beds and rock back and forth in fear. They suffer from nightmares; parents weep and struggle because they have no money to buy food. Holocaust survivors live in poverty within the walls of Israel. And now, the new threat of the so-called Arab Spring with the change of power and the emboldened nefarious leaders, clanging swords and killing their own neighbors. Does God feel this suffering and fear?

The early church fathers, both Latin & Greek, insisted upon what is called the “impassibility” of God. Basically, this means while man, created by God, experiences suffering, God himself does not. Yet, portions of the Hebrew scripture narrative imply God does have feelings and does react to His creation.

Understandably so, those who advocate a strict “impassibility” realize that God is not completely apathetic. On the other hand, when the scripture narrative describes God in human terms, i.e., hands, eyes, etc., we understand that God is a spirit and is bigger than our physical universe, or our ideas and understanding of personifying God. Notwithstanding, is something to be learned from the scripture when it ascribes human emotions and human features to God – does reveal something about the Creator God?

Before the Incarnation of the Messiah we find it stated of God:

1. “His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel (Judges 10:16).”

2. “Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For though I spoke against him, I earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart yearns for him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the LORD (Jeremiah 31:20).”

3. “How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I set you like Zeboiim? My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred (Hosea 11:8).”

After the Incarnation it is stated of Jesus:

1. “Now it happened, the day after that He went into a city called Nain;...And when He came near the gate o the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow…When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, Do not weep…(Luke 7:11-13).

2. “Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled…Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, See how He loved him (John 11:33-36).”

3. “But when He saw the multitudes He was moved (Matthew 9:36).”

Looking at these passages, we learn that before the birth of Jesus, God was directly affected by the trials and anguish of his creation. After the Incarnation, we find God identifying with human pain and responding with immeasurable love.

Our suffering causes God to grieve; God cries when we cry; God hurts when we hurt. This, of course, does not diminish who God is in terms of his essence, being all power, all knowledge, everywhere present. If human beings, created in God’s image, can make suffering their own through their love for others, how much more can God, who is love, make suffering His own. In other words, if a human being is affected by another’s sorrow and pain, God is more affected. Why? God created us out of an act of love, and is not indifferent to the angst we experience. He created us and is involved and identifies with us – even proving his involvement by taking it to the ultimate expression of love and concern-- the Cross.

Simply, God cries when someone dies; He has compassion on those who are ill; He sorrows for the children who do not have a meal; His heart yearns for the one gone astray; He has sympathy for those in need.

Our sorrow is mingled with joy because Christ, the Passover Lamb, brings hope and answers in our time of need. God expressed his love through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. The resurrection proves that he is God. God is not indifferent to the sorrows of this world – and that brings an amazing comfort to our hearts.

Being created in God’s likeness we can emulate Him by being His hands and feet bringing comfort to fellow human beings. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalms 30:5).”

###

Lessons from Miley Cyrus on Parenting Teens

by Shannon Perry

Shannon Perry is a conference speaker, author, recording artist, TV and Radio show host whose new book is entitled The Overlooked Generation: Parenting Teens and Tweens in a Complicated Culture. Prior to going into full-time ministry, Shannon taught for over 14 years in the public school system and holds a Master’s degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor for Crisis Counseling and Parenting Classes. Her TV show, “Grace in High Heels” airs twice weekly on the NRB Network. Her website address is www.ShannonPerry.com.

Miley Cyrus made sure she was not overlooked at this week’s MTV Awards. While many label her actions as “individualized expression,” others recognize the truth behind her outrageous performance. Miley, just as many other young adults and teens in our culture, desires one thing above all:attention. Many young people I have counseled and taught in conferences tell me they are feeling neglected, abandoned and overlooked. They are seeking attention any way they can get it – whether negative or positive. Just like Miley.

Unfortunately, media and technology play a large part in the desensitizing process that our culture has encountered. Instead of downplaying scandalous performances and demanding they be banned on television and the internet, these productions are glorified, shared and “go viral.” Is it any wonder our teens follow suit and see such behavior as admirable? After all, when teens desire attention and have no proper outlet to attain it, the media is always happy to oblige.

Fortunately, God’s Word provides the TRUTH that will ground our teens and allow them the kind of secure identification the world will never provide. When teens learn the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 they are able to recognize a loving Father who has great plans for them and would never allow them to feel overlooked or forgotten. Our teens are bombarded with messages that reinforce self-reliance instead of God-reliance. But how, as parents, can we influence our teens so that Jesus becomes their focus instead of the outlandish behavior of pop stars?

First, we reinforce that God’s Word is the only TRUTH that will stand in our teen’s life by doing something our society has forgotten how to do – be silent. Can you remember the last time the television, radio, computer and cell phones were off in your home? Contrary to popular belief, no one in the family will die, and some powerful things may happen as a result of flipping the off switch. Encourage your family to spend quiet time each night. Cell phones are not only turned off, they are turned in. Once the technology is put to bed, allow everyone to spend time reading God’s Word, sharing feelings and emotions, and connecting. Make family time priority and discuss life in the context of the Word of God and how it applies in every day events. After all, if God’s Word is not priority to you, the parent, it won’t be for your child either.

Need help with ways to make God’s Word applicable in your teen’s daily life? Their “dress” is a good place to start. As witnessed in Miley’s performance, “anything goes” is the mantra for today’s culture. Discuss the sexually-explicit images and messages that are presented by much of the media and how your family values differ. I Timothy 2:9-10 reminds us that we are to dress modestly and in ways that glorify God. Leviticus 11:44 says “We must be holy, for God is holy.” This certainly includes the way we dress. Unfortunately, many of our teen girls are dressing in more sexual ways because they believe it is what “gets the guys.” But research shows that while guys are initially attracted to girls who are provocatively dressed, the relationship is usually short-lived. Guys do not want to date someone who dresses inappropriately because it is a sign that they do not respect themselves. The young men interviewed go on to say that they could not have a serious relationship with girls who dress to get attention because they fear she is hiding deeper issues. Teaching our teens to live by Romans 14:13 helps them avoid being a “stumbling” block and assures they will attract those who share similar values.

Sex is another crucial topic we must discuss with our teens. In our sex-saturated society, the media will teach them if we do not, so offering the TRUTH from God’s Word is a necessity. Psalm 119:9 reminds us that a young person can stay pure by obeying God’s Word. Purity is lost when teens begin acting like they are married when they are not. Remind teens why God’s Word says to wait to have sex before they are married. When teens understand that God is protecting them from sexually transmitted diseases as well as emotional heartbreak, they are less likely to see His command as a threat and view it instead as a comfort. Help your teen understand the emphasis on purity by reminding them of the following:

You have no guilt, no shame, and no scars when holding to sexual purity.
You will not face the possibility of bearing a child out of wedlock.
There is no such thing as 100% “safe sex” outside of marriage.

By teaching our teens to recognize TRUTH, the lies can be more easily discerned. Reinforce Godly role models, reward positive behaviors and attributes in your teen, and refuse to feed the monstrous media that invades your home by glamorizing it. Remind your teen or tween every day that they are never overlooked or forgotten by you or by God. And neither is Miley.

###

The Arab Spring Debacle

By Dr. Jeffrey Johnson

The Arab Spring turns out to be not so “springy.” To bring democracy to basically a nomadic world will be challenging at best. Israel is the only stable democracy in the region.

Let’s look at the facts: you have Hezbollah (Lebanon) in the north with 50,000 rockets aimed at Israel; Hamas (Gaza) launching several thousand rockets into Israel’s border cities in the last few years; Syria, who does not recognize Israel, killing over 100,000 of their own people and just waiting to blame Israel for their problems; Iran, with their evolving nuclear program would use rockets to eradicate the Jewish State; Egypt, whose peace treaty with Israel is faltering; Jordan, also holding a treaty with Israel, is struggling to care for the thousands of refugees fleeing Syria. Then you have Russia, empowering Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah. Quite a mess!

So what does the Bible have to say about all this?

The Prophet Ezekiel gives us a daunting presage of a military campaign. The military advance is set within the context of the prophet foretelling Israel’s rebirth as a nation within the purview of the final years before the cosmic transforming Messianic Kingdom unfolds.

Much of Israel’s rebirth is attested in Ezekiel 36 & 37, and then in 38:1-39:16 the seer describes a coalition that has evil intentions. The first nation listed in the coalition is Persia, 38:5. The first nation listed is always the most influential of the group. Persia is modern-day Iran. The nations in the list are Muslim – and the leader of the coalition comes from the north, “far north” of Israel, Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, 38:2,15. Many theologians today believe this to be a description of Russia.

Motivated by the great power from the “far north,” Persia (Iran) will develop a league of nations to attack Israel, 38:1-7. As you read the prophet’s words you wade through horrible carnage stemmed from natural and supernatural venues. The earth will quake, 38:19; disease and blood, 38:22; fire and brimstone will fall from the sky, 38:22; beasts will eat human bloodied mangled flesh, 39:4; bones, flesh, and special detachments of people to bury bodies and body parts, 39:11-16. The carnage of this war is so terrible that Israel will create a city-sized cemetery, 39:15,16. Sounds to me like the launching of a limited nuclear & chemical war. Israel survives, but at great cost.

From 38:17 to chapter 48 in Ezekiel, you have global peace beginning to unfurl as Messiah comes at the dawn of the Messianic Kingdom. Isaiah’s profoundly hopeful words will begin: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore”(Isaiah 2:4).

Isaiah elaborates on the Kingdom of Messiah, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (11:6, 9). According to the prophet, the Arab-Israeli conflict will finally come to an end.

In fact, Isaiah’s trajectory gives the world an infusion of deep hope. “Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. And all those who despised you shall fall prostrate…and they shall call you The City of the Lord, Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (60:1, 3, 14).

The prophet is saying that nations will be at peace; political, tribal, racial and religious hatred will cease, and the world will call Jerusalem the City of the Lord. The Apostle Paul, echoing Isaiah’s words, stated, “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God…that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Romans 14:11; Isaiah 45:22; Philippians 2:11).

When looking at prophetic themes, one must always look for the hope, the goal, and end result. God always brings hope to the table – at times it seems a long way off – nonetheless, hope arrives.

Are today’s events the beginning of the Sage’s prophecy? Let the readers judge, meanwhile Christians should pray for peace – and when praying be sure to pray as Jesus taught, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

###

The Divine Pattern of Marriage

By Nancy Eskijian

Nancy Eskijian is Senior Pastor of Bread of Life Foursquare Gospel Church in Los Angeles, California, and author of Restoration NOW!, nominated for 2012 Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year. Her latest book, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex and Gender and the Bible, What’s Hot and What’s Not According to Scripture, deals with the issues of same-sex attraction, abortion, gay marriage and other issues affecting today’s culture. Along with being a pastor in an inner city church, Nancy worked for several years as a lawyer in the position of Vice President and Senior Counsel for a major Southern California corporation. Visit www.RestorationNowMinistry.com for more information.

Much has been written about the Supreme Court of the United States opening the door for same sex couples to marry. While any nation may pass civil laws and call same sex unions “marriage,” enabling rights and privileges under the law, such unions have little in common with the Biblical significance, intention and definition of marriage. For those of us who believe in the God of the Bible as the originator and Creator of life, then we accept that everything flows from Him, and all relationships have a spiritual dimension, especially marriage. In the beginning God created man in His image. Genesis 1:27 - 28 (NKJV) states: “²⁷So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. ²⁸Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply.”

Let’s ponder that statement for a moment: gender is part of the very image of God, and that is why it is so important and non-negotiable. We also see that God blessed them, male and female, as individuals and as a unit, with the charge to be fruitful and multiply. There are many things we can have and be in this life, but not everything is blessed. In the scripture, we see God blessed their individual identity and unity, releasing them to multiply and exercise dominion, as the rest of the scripture goes.

In Genesis 2:23, the creation of woman and the origin of marriage are described further and merged together. God put Adam into a deep sleep and took a rib out of Adam’s side. Genesis 2:23—“²³And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man ²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” That’s why husbands are to love their wives for no man hates his own flesh. The oneness means that she is physically part of him. It’s now personal—the woman is taken out of his side.

Jesus Himself reiterated the Genesis scriptures in Mark 10:6 - 9 (NKJV) “⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Here are a few important points that express God’s order, intent and revelation in marriage from a Biblical perspective:

1. From the beginning of creation, God created male and female, and He physically designed them to be joined together and they reflect His image. He blessed their gender and unity as “one flesh,” forming a new creative order. Similarly, when we come to the Lord we merge with His body spiritually through the Holy Spirit and become a new creation, His body, and bride, under the new covenant, taken out of His side, the second Adam.

2. The married couple leaves family of origin to start something new. The Lord sets out a personal governmental order, the family unit, with husband and wife, mother and father, if there are children. The man departs from one home to create another governmental structure with himself and his wife. As believers, we leave an old life to be merged in Christ for a new life under a new headship.

3. As the man cleaves to his wife, neither is to be self-identified any more, but instead identified with the new family unit. This is an important spiritual point, too, as we enter into Christ. We are no longer just self-identified, but part of Him under the new covenant. Marriage reflects the divine purpose of God to form a new covenantal order.

4. The family unit is where the Lord sets out human sexual order, because it unites God-ordained and God-designed creations, for sexual relations, and to be fruitful and multiply.

5. Reproductive order: A new creation has occurred (man and woman as one) to give birth in the natural to other new creations (babies), just as Christ is married to His church, (a new creation), and that union expands His family (spiritual babies).

6. God’s stamp of approval is on marriage because it reflects a divine pattern of Christ and His church. So, the union reflects a divine order.

In short, the human covenant of marriage, as revealed in scripture, expresses a deeper spiritual pattern. It has roots in heaven just as other profound realities in the Bible. God’s relationship to His covenantal people, Israel, is described in the Old Testament of the Bible as marriage. The relationship of Christ and His church is described in terms of marriage. There is the marriage supper of the Lamb. The New Testament instructs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. The mystery of marriage is the mystery of Christ and His church: Ephesians 5:31 - 32 (KJV) “³¹For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. ³²This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” That doesn’t mean that marriages are perfect. It just means that the pattern is perfect, expressing something on earth as it is in heaven.

The earthly relationship of marriage is a reflection of a divine pattern, for unity, fruitfulness, fulfillment, responsibility, and a divine covenant. In fact, all of creation and redemption (God’s act of love to give us a new life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ) is reflected in the marriage relationship and covenant. This simply cannot be altered by men and women in black robes or by popular vote.

###

An "Apology" for Unity

By Father Dimitri Sala

Dimitri Sala is a Franciscan Friar-Priest involved full-time in evangelical preaching and apostolic ministry. Presently based in Chicago, Fr. Sala has been a speaker in diocesan, regional, national, and international conferences, and has made several appearances on Christian television and radio. He has been involved in international efforts of reconciliation between Evangelical Protestants and Catholics, and is part of the ecumenical ministry of Harvest Evangelism, where he is a faculty member for the Transform Our World Conferences. He is the author of the new book entitled The Stained Glass Curtain: Crossing the Evangelical-Catholic Divide to Find our Common Heritage. His website is www.TheStainedGlassCurtain.com.

I always thought the word “apologetics” was somewhat curious. As the Church uses it, apologetics is the field concerned with demonstrating the truth and legitimacy of Christianity. The term actually comes from two Greek words which mean “to speak in defense of” (hence, some call apologetics “defending the faith”). But, based on the more common use of the word “apology,” it can also sound like we are asking for forgiveness for ourselves.

I believe the Catholic Church is in need of a heavy dose of both meanings in the wake of the recent scandals rocking us. It is no longer uncommon to hear more astonishing news every few days. Things like the near-bizarre intrigues of the “Vatileaks” (in which the Pope’s butler publicized embarrassing private documents), or the continuous exposés on institutions and high-ranking leaders, all leave the impression that something is unraveling. Meanwhile, as the Vatican shrouds itself in such secrecy, one can only wonder, “What is the real truth…and what’s next?”

In light of all this, there has been a lot of “apologizing” (i.e., asking for forgiveness) by various leaders as official spokespersons of the Catholic community. Admittedly, some people question their sincerity: how much is the backpedaling maneuver of an institution that knows it’s in trouble? Rest assured God will evaluate all that. He knows what the truth is, He is no respecter of persons, and nothing slips by His scrutiny.

But here I would like to take up the other meaning of the word, “apology”. A wise sage once said, “Everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of the truth.” I’d like to make an appeal that there is an even deeper issue of legitimacy facing Christianity at times like these. Certainly, scandal is not “one small section of the truth,” but it isn’t the entire picture either, and we would do well not to fixate on it. An important larger truth is that, like it or not, the rest of the world watches the Church of Christ and associates his name and reputation with It. So when scandal hits any branch, the Body and the witness of all of us are lessened. What’s more, how we navigate through together would say more to the world about the legitimacy of Christianity, than would the scandals alone. Scandal in our ranks, then, is a spiritual trumpet-call for the whole Church of Christ to come together, not fall further apart.

As a matter of fact, history has already shown that our reaction to scandal as a Body has profound consequences on Christian witness. Take, for example, the circumstances of the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther originally purposed a needed overhaul within the Church of his day. But unfatherly actions from his leaders hurt him, thus fueling and intensifying the other current scandals. Ever since Luther’s time, however, Protestant negative reaction to the Catholic Church has often expressed not only criticism (and at times even valid judgment), but also the irritation of a wound from Church authority. How does that unhealed wound affect the unified witness of Christianity? After Luther was orphaned by his spiritual fathers, his own movement continued to struggle with trusting authority and resolving its ecclesial conflicts, and Protestantism has since branched off into some 41,000 different denominations. As a result, it is a challenge today to get Evangelical leaders to come together for the greater cause of transforming the world. In the ecumenical Christian Kingdom-movement of which I am a part, we call this the "orphan spirit."

On the other hand, the defensive “Counter-Reformation” has produced a Catholic Church still too institutionally lax about the witness of a united Christianity: it generates theologically brilliant statements, yet eludes the serious relational calamity that still needs head-on healing.

Let the truth of scandals in the Church be what it is. If God is housecleaning systems that perpetuate things clearly not of Him, so be it. It certainly would not be the first time in His People’s history, Old or New Covenant. But even here, we don’t want to risk becoming “mentally clouded and obsessed” with a “section of the truth.” These scandals are challenging us to abandon our usual way of reacting (running for cover into our own denominations…“We’re right, they’re so wrong”…), to probe further, and to look harder at our unified witness to the world, or lack thereof. Our views of the Catholic Church today – affirmative, negative or anywhere in between – act as a thermometer-reading on the Body’s fever of disunity. Let that diagnosis urge us to move decisively back into the oneness which we have lacked for so long…a oneness which Jesus unapologetically declared is the bigger picture necessary for His followers to impact the world.

###

A View from the Trenches

by Shannon Perry

Shannon Perry is an author, conference speaker, recording artist and radio host. Her brand-new conference, “In Her Shoes,” is designed specifically for mothers and daughters, tackling issues such as bullying, self-esteem, body image, social media, dating as well as other topics affecting tween and teen girls. Shannon holds a Master’s Degree in Education and Counseling and is a Certified Instructor in Parenting Classes and Crisis Counseling. For more information visit www.ShannonPerry.com.

As I watched the children of Sandy Hook Elementary run from their school in tears that dark December day, I, too, found myself weeping uncontrollably. As a former Elementary School Counselor, the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting was the unimaginable scenario I had often feared for my own school now turned into a horrible reality. For years, I sat behind a desk as a school administrator at an elementary school in Houston, Texas. I often pondered what an attack from outsiders would involve. With over one thousand students enrolled, how would we possibly move everyone to safety? I often prayed over students as I watched them travel up and down the hallway from my office window. Their innocence could so easily be targeted by spineless evil. A day never passed in which I didn't consider what my actions would have to be if such a scenario should occur. Being on the front lines at a public school involves far more than most can imagine. From outrageous parental demands to threats of bombs and suicide, the job description of teachers and administrators has certainly been re-written over the past few decades. During my nine years as an Elementary School Counselor, I saw just about everything. From lockdowns after continued bomb threats, to women running into my office after being raped on the street, my days were usually unpredictable, and anything but "ordinary." One in particular came to mind as I watched the Sandy Hook events unfold.

In the spring of 2004, a young father abruptly entered my office. His visit was unannounced so I was not aware of his arrival or his intention. It didn't take long for him to explain. He had been reported to Child Protective Services (CPS) for abusing his children, and assumed that the report had come from my office. While he had no proof, and my report was confidential, he was correct. I made the report the morning one of his children showed me the imprint of a boot heel in their forehead. The father kicked the child in the forehead out of anger. I did indeed call CPS after seeking medical attention for the child. When CPS notified the father that he may lose his children if the abuse continued, the father pursued me as the source of the call. While calling CPS is usually done in confidence, it doesn't take long for the perpetrator to attack the one they most likely suspect. Usually, it is a school official.

While in my office, the father shouted obscenities and repeatedly slammed his hand on my desk. I advised him to calm down or I would call for assistance. His next statement was chilling and one that I will never forget. He pointed his finger at me and growled, "I will leave, but I'm warning you now. If I am ever reported to CPS again or if I lose my children, I will kill you." I knew he meant exactly what he said.

Fortunately, those children were kept safe and their father never had another opportunity to abuse them. Two weeks after visiting my office, at the age of 34, their father suffered a major heart attack and died. I would like to say that this was an isolated case, but I was threatened on more than one occasion as I sought to protect children who were in abusive or dangerous situations.

Protecting the children from danger went beyond the confines of my office. We were often called to evacuate our school building due to bomb threats and hours of study time were often lost as a result. Lock downs due to outside danger or hostile parents also became part of our routine. The irony of it all? I worked in a district highly recognized among national rankings and known for its safety and security procedures. Unfortunately, policies were not enough to keep "crazy" from my office or out of Sandy Hook Elementary. I resigned my position in 2005 and went into full-time ministry, but I still stay connected to the kids who were on my watch.

As I continue following updates on the children, families and staff of Sandy Hook, my heart is grieved by the statements and suggestions made by those who have never served in the trenches of a public school. Those who know how to best protect our children are those who are with them on a daily basis. There has never been more evidence than the example set by those at Sandy Hook. The number of children lost is tragic, but the potential number of children that could have been killed --and were not --says one thing: administrators and teachers were prepared to courageously go above and beyond their call of duty. Teachers and administrators are well aware of imminent dangers on a daily basis, but most take the risk for one reason: they love children.

For years, teachers and school administrators have fought to be heard. Sports figures and Hollywood celebrities receive the rewards of recognition and financial restitution, but what about our educators? I am a great supporter of my hometown football team, but I often wonder why educators are not more celebrated. We reward those who carry a ball, but not those who carry our future. As the Bible clearly reminds us, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." Our priority as a nation must be to protect the lives of the innocent. The cowards and bullies that target our schools must be met with a resounding reminder that we will do WHATEVER it takes to protect our children. We place armed guards around celebrities, airports and Presidents because they are valued. Do we place the same value on the lives of our children? Removing guns only treats the symptom, encouraging those who are intent on doing to evil acts to simply find other methods. If a gun is not available, they will find the materials to create a home-made bomb. We will never be able to remove enough weapons to stop heinous acts. The main issue is one of the heart. Where IS the heart of our country when it comes to protecting the innocent?

As one who has lived in the “trenches" of the Elementary School life, several suggestions come to mind for improving our school's safety. Placing armed guards at surrounding entrances of the schools may not prevent attacks, but it would certainly deter them. If we can find the tax dollars to build larger stadiums, surely we can prioritize our monies to help protect our most innocent lives. We could certainly train a few individuals in every building to responsibly carry a weapon. Just as many churches allow armed individuals (often unnamed) to protect their members, unnamed individuals would be armed and prepared to take action in the school. Making this fact known publicly would likely deter those who would otherwise attack the vulnerable and possibly save lives.

An additional plea I would make is to curriculum departments, parents and the media. We MUST address the violence that infiltrates our children's lives through mainstream media. Although statistics contradict a correlation between shootings and violent video games, the media has become a source for students to view killing as "normal." Just turn on your television at any given moment, and if you have more than five channels, it won't take long to find a murder transpiring or one being plotted. So how do we address this issue in the schools? We begin when they are young. Children must learn anti-bullying strategies and the effects of hurting the innocent at an early age. We need to help students learn to welcome "good" and shun "evil" both in and out of school. Schools cannot do this alone, however. Parents must reinforce to their children that the idea of hurting the innocent people is unacceptable. As a parent, refuse to allow your children to watch violent movies or television shows. Instead, fill their minds with positive images as you watch things that bring "life" into your home. The mainstream media must realize that we as a nation will no longer buy into the lie that violence is the "norm." When we stop supporting violent movies, television shows and video games with our wallets, our society will change. It truly is up to us.

The final and most important suggestion I would make as a former "trench" survivor is that we pray. When we invite God back into our schools, we invite His covering. Although we are told we cannot publicly pray as a group during school hours, nothing stops us from praying as individuals. The job rests on our shoulders as we wait for our leaders to remove politics and prioritize the safety of our children. The prayer I once prayed over my own school is the same one I pray daily over schools across this land: "Father, place your angels around our children and those who serve them, and protect them from evil that would so cowardly and intently prey on innocence."

Our children should be our highest priority. May we all have the courage to take the necessary steps to make their young lives our most important responsibility.

###

Stopping the Horror of Child Sex Trafficking

Jennifer Shaw is a top 40 Billboard artist and author of the book, Life Not Typical: How Special Needs Parenting Changed my Faith and my Song. Her new album entitled Someday is produced by Lifeway Christian Resources’ Producer of the Year, Paul Marino. Someday features the song “To Be Love,” co-written by Shaw, which will be used as a theme song for Remember Nhu. Her previous CD garnered a #3 hit song on the national Inspirational radio charts and spawned one of Lifeway’s best-selling Easter choral anthems. For more information, visit www.JenniferShaw.com.

Jennifer Shaw (R) with Nhu

I stepped off the plane that took me from Columbus, Ohio to Thailand and steadied myself for the journey I was about to take. I was invited by Remember Nhu, an organization that exists to prevent the exploitation of children in the sex trade industry throughout the world. Carl Ralston, the founder of Remember Nhu, took us to the PatPong district in Bangkok which is notorious for sex tourism and trafficking. I can’t even share some of the pictures I took because the language on the signage is too graphic. We started to realize the scope of the issue. Some estimate that 15% of the GDP in Thailand is from prostitution. Remember Nhu is trying to prevent children from ever being trafficked, and it was very difficult as a parent to know that there were children living behind those windows who were in slavery and being abused in ways I couldn’t begin to fathom. The children we met who were caught up in this horror were the ages of our children back home, and that just broke my heart even more.

Remember Nhu currently runs three children’s homes in Thailand, although they are moving soon and plan to open more. While we were there, there had been over 90 applications for children, not including the ones who come in from referrals through pastors and social workers and just word of mouth. They only had room to take about 10 kids. It’s a big problem, and one they hope will be rectified by the new land purchase. Another challenge is finding indigenous house parents who are Christians since the country is 97% Buddhist.

We heard a few stories of some of the children they had rescued. One had come to them by a sheer act of God’s mercy when a house parent for Remember Nhu was shopping at the market. A couple approached her and offered to sell her their two-year-old daughter. They both had HIV and needed money for medicine. She talked them into a visit from a social worker and they signed their daughter over to R-Nhu and got medical help themselves as well. In another case, a little eighteen-month-old girl had lived for a year literally going house to house in the village begging food because her parents had both been incarcerated for running drugs. No one took her in, and finally someone told R-Nhu about her. When they brought her in, they described her as a “feral child.” She has been with them a year and is doing wonderfully now.

Many of the stories were so similar: extreme poverty, parents who had died and left their children at the mercy of other family members who could not afford to care for them, abuse, remarriage and the refusal of the new husband to care for his wife’s children. But all I saw when we were with these children was their potential. They were amazing, and they deserved more than life had dealt them. There were a few girls in particular with whom I spent a lot of time, and they really touched my heart.

One of the sweetest moments of the week was when I realized that we knew several of the same worship songs. I would sing in English, and they would sing in their language, all praising the same God. Many of the kids in the homes have become Christians even though this is an almost entirely Buddhist nation. Some of them spoke some English, and when I asked them why they had become Christians, they said that they had seen “love” from both sides, and that Christian love was different– it was real. That night the girls at the main house showed me a book of worship songs in Thai. Of course, I couldn’t read any of it, but the chord notations were the same, so I could play them. They thought I was brilliant, and when they realized I wasn’t actually reading the Thai, just the chords, they thought it was a great joke. I was listening to them singing praise to Jesus, and telling me that Jesus was the one who saved them, and it gave me such hope. He is our hope. And He is theirs.

People keep asking me, “How can someone sell their own child? Who are these parents??” That is a good question. But after seeing how they live, sometimes when you are choosing between starvation for your child or selling that child, there isn’t a good choice. I would say a better question is: Who is buying these children? Why is there a market for child prostitution? And who will be there to protect these children? Being there with Remember Nhu made me aware of the need for the Christian community to step up and be God's people as we fight this terrible evil. I wrote the song "To Be Love" to call people to act, to pray, and to invoke God's mercy for these precious kids. If we are all working together as the hands and feet of Christ, we can change so many lives.

###

Lyrics "To Be Love"
written by Paul Marino and Jennifer Shaw

Lord give me eyes to see

A world unreal to me

Where children are not free, enslaved, abused, deprived

Help me to see their tears

Help me to feel their fears

Give me a heart that longs to try

To act justly

To show mercy

To walk humbly with You, God

To be broken

For the broken

To be willing

To be love

Make me a voice of peace

That reaches to the least

And gives the hope they need, Lord, this is my desire