LIGHTNING STRIKES BACK

by Charles C Robey
(Trussville, AL, 35173)

PROLOGUE

As a preamble to this faith-based education-related blog, please allow me to share this Facebook post I recently read.

QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM BEN CARSON: "If someone asks about your educational background, proclaim boldly that: Church is my college. Heaven is my university. Father God is my counselor. Jesus is my principal. Holy Spirit is my teacher. Angels are my classmates. Bible is my textbook. Temptations are my exams. Overcoming Satan is my hobby. Winning souls for God is my assignment. Receiving eternity is my degree. Praise and Worship are my slogans. If you are a child of God bless you!”

Wow, here it is in a nutshell, right? What has happened to the three Rs; the three basic skills taught in schools: reading, writing and arithmetic (usually said as "reading, writing, and 'rithmetic")?

This phrase which was said to be have been coined at the beginning of the 19th Century, should add an additional fourth R for religion, which would generally stand for being faith-based. Yes, “Reading, Rriting, and Rithmetic, should always include God’s inspired written word. (II Timothy 3:16).

Dreams, we all have them. Some last forever in our minds, while others we never remember. How do these dreams come about? Is it a remembrance from days gone by? Could it be a rehearsal of things to come? Or, a reflection of the day’s events? Maybe, just maybe our Creator, God, is speaking to us, as in the Bible days of old. Anyway, if you sleep, and we all do, you will have them, those dreams or even a vision now and then. So, get ready for the action.

Now, I trust you will enjoy this brief parable, that of an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, entitled “Lightning Strikes Back.” How are your educational concepts and precepts, my friend? Do they include the church, the Gospel, the Bible? Or are they simply a rendering of the recent progressive social agenda?

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)

The traffic was awful. It was the afternoon, coming-home-from-work crowd, I gathered. It didn’t use to bother me, but now it seems to be playing on this nearly-retired old Bible professor’s nerves to no end. "If I can only make it to summer, I’ll finally be retired," I said, thinking out loud as I listen to my favorite Praise and Worship music station.

Thank goodness, I’m finally home. Now for a quick evening snack, a catching up on my next homework assignment, Then to bed away from it all. But it didn’t quite happen that way. I don’t even remember finishing the viewing of my favorite oldie’s TV sitcom.

I had a dream, or maybe a vision. In this unusual dream, I was walking down the corridor of a large schoolhouse, passing a number of classrooms as I walked along. Suddenly, for no particular reason, I was drawn like a magnet into this particular classroom. I sat down quietly so as to not cause a disturbance.

The room was filled with many students. it must have been some sort of religious devotion class. The teacher's Bible was open as she read. Listed on the blackboard was the Scripture of the day.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15)

All was serene, peaceful, and quiet. But it all suddenly came to a head rather quickly. A man suddenly came storming through the classroom door and slammed the door behind him as he entered. It was the school principal, according to all indications, a fire-breathing dragon. He was on some sort of all-important mission, I gathered.

Without a word of introduction, he promptly strode straight to the teacher’s desk. With one swipe of his hand, all the faith-based textbooks were scraped into the trash can, including the teacher's open Bible. Everyone was so startled that no one budged or uttered a word, including the teacher. I don’t mind saying so, I’ve never seen anything like it in our freedom-loving America.

His next move was no surprise. As he walked up to the blackboard and erased the Scripture verse of the day, I swear I saw horns protruding from his forehead.

Then the most unusual event took place, almost scaring heaven's graces out of us all. Without warning, there was a tremendously loud clap of thunder, coupled with an enormous lightning bolt shooting straight in through the classroom window. The entire episode took us all by such surprise, no one could believe the next divine chain of events.

Suddenly, as if by divine action, all the faith-based books reappeared back on the teacher’s desk, including her big leather-bound Bible. They were all neatly stacked on the teacher's desk as if they had never been moved. The day’s devotional Scripture reappeared on the blackboard. Students and teacher were all still in their places, in a state of shock. All were stunned into silence.

What was so strange about this unusual dream or vision was that after the smoke of the lightning had disappeared, so did the principal. His sudden disappearance caused a flutter of speculation, and my dream came to an abrupt ending.

I woke up somewhat frustrated with it all, just lying there in my bed, the covers disarranged and sweaty. What did happen to this fiendish principal? If only I could have seen this dream to a complete, successful ending.

I know, however, from the indication of the dream or vision's quick ending, it was a faith-based success with the teacher and students, But what about the principal? Had the principal taken the cowardly way out, or was he caught up in this most unusual lightning strike? Where did he end up?

After I related my dream or vision throughout our little community, and upwards in the entire state, preachers statewide took advantage of this event for months. The positive effect throughout the state was a tremendous improvement, especially in the surrounding halls of learning.

What did happen next? I’ll leave it up to you. Please come now, give this little fiction a just ending.

EPILOGUE

Can you imagine getting suspended for chewing gum in school, or sticking out your hand for that old ruler pop for the same crime? Wow, have things changed down through the years!

I remember having Bible as an accredited high school subject. Bible I, the Old Testament, was taught in the tenth grade. Bible II, the New Testament, was taught in the eleventh grade. Each day class would open with a devotional on which we were graded. They were easy subjects for this young whipper-snapper, preacher's kid.

I surely knew better than to get a bad grade in Bible! Besides Dad being censured by the church Elders, if this were to happen, I would also experience that long backyard walk to the woodshed altar for Dad’s accustomed punishment, devotion, and ending prayer. Amen!