In spite of the complaints from atheists, the antichristian, and others with diverse beliefs Christmas still remains a central part of human culture. And despite the resistance, the holiday will come, and the larger portion of Americans will celebrate it, for the better or for the worse along with the rest of the world.
Some time back, due largely to complaints of an offended minority, one elementary school had to rename its Christmas celebration because of the claim that the central figure of the holiday was bringing undue attention to religion. In this case though, the central figure was not a baby in a manger, or an angel, or even a shepherd. No this sacred icon of religious history was non other than Santa Clause. “Breakfast with Santa” had to be changed to “Winter Breakfast” or something like that and had to include Frosty the Snowman, so as to be reasonably diverse. More recently, Santa was renamed "Mr. Holiday" by some "poilitically correct" school district
Now, while I understand the religious connections of the supposedly historical Saint Nick, I have never considered the modern day version of Santa particularly religious, and I certainly refuse to give him equal place with Christ or any other individual in the Nativity Story. If any thing, I have always viewed him as the antithesis of the true Christmas Spirit. It seems to me he has in fact, become a cultural substitute for Jesus, rather than a colleague.
Pagan roots aside, Santa is admittedly an awful lot like Christ. He possesses many Godly attributes. He seems to be omniscient, able to see children twenty-four hours a day. He too is a champion of good rather than evil. He is able to fly and comes as a thief in the night. He matches the Biblical description of Christ right down to the red suit (Rev. 19:13), the white hair and beard (Rev. 1:14), and even the merry “Ho Ho” (Zech. 2:6). However, as Christ-like as Santa seems, two serious problems arise.
By and large the glory of Santa is fundamentally a materialistic happiness. His rewards are temporal and destructible. They appeal to the flesh and become more pleasurable as the cost goes up. They satisfy for a while until the novelty wears off, and then must be replaced by newer, more up-to-date versions. The simplistic and genuine are cast aside for the faddish and trendish.
A second more serious problem is that, unlike Christ, Santa Clause is unable to make good on his promises. Every year the dark side of the Santa Clause legend surfaces as poverty, criminal activity, personal tragedy, and even death, shatter the illusion, making it a sadly obvious that Santa Claus is ill-equipped to live up to his hero status. One of the harshest realities of this season is that Santa does not visit every house and bring joy into the heart of every little boy and girl.
Parents valiantly attempt, some unsuccessfully, or at the risk of financial ruin to perpetuate the myth and fantasy, but the cold, sad truth is that we live in a world that does not always lend itself to happy endings. Charitable groups try to compensate, but sin and evil have created a degenerating nightmare that neither Santa nor his human accomplices are able to overcome. In the end, the materialistic, temporal, and insufficient emblems of happiness fall short, and the void left by man’s sin is still gaping and yearning to be filled.
Children need to be given a greater spiritual gift of more eternal proportions, a gift that finds it basis in truth rather than legend and deception. This Christmas season, let us focus on the true Spirit of Christmas, The Spirit of Christ. Share the Joy and Peace that can only come from the knowledge that our future is secure and our Hope is in the Lord. I leave you with this poem I wrote many years ago. Merry Christmas!
Whose Day Is It Anyway
Santa Clause has come to town
Tearing Jesus’ message down.
Commercializing all the earth,
Shadowing our Savior’s birth.
Little minds know Santa’s fame,
Yet rarely mention Jesus’ name.
Toys and presents take the place
Of Jesus’ gift of perfect Grace.
So stop and think this Christmas day.
Whose day is it, anyway?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
School Dress Codes and Learning
So many today are concerned with the notions of freedom and liberty. Voices are raised vigorously sounding the alarm to rescue civil rights and free speech. Consequently, the umbrella of free speech has been enlarged to include the disrespectful, the immoral, and the perverse. Simultaneously, the spiritual fiber of America continues to be unraveled such that it is hard to tell where we stand morally and ethically. One area in which this is clearly evident is the manner in which we dress.
The attitudes of rebellion that were spawned in the ‘60s and ‘70s offered a license for some to challenge the barriers of cultural norms. There were dramatic shifts in hair styles and clothing choices as popular culture embraced rebellion and disdained social standards. This movement, carried on the shoulders of free speech, was lent credence from two powerful forces, Rock and Roll and Hollywood. In the wake of this wave of change, social institutions in turn responded with relaxed dress standards. The result is a growing population of young people who mock order and discipline with excesses in dress, appearance, body piercing, and body art.
In schools, shorts, t-shirts, baggy and sagging pants, short dresses, and tight clothing have replaced the modest and the neat. Extreme hair styles and bizarre clothing are permitted in the name of free speech and self-expression engendering a circus-like throng of children who look little prepared to behave and dress for success in the world. One cannot help but wonder what effect this phenomena has had on overall student learning.
Perhaps what we need is a revival of standards. One simple solution is the uniform dress codes. In such schools, students and teachers reflect attitudes of consistency and stability in their attire while minimizing the need for monitoring of students to adjust clothing or fix a dress code violation. Administration no longer has to be called on to rule whether or not a student’s clothing choice for the day falls within the district guidelines allowing teachers and administration to focus more on the business of learning. Students are less likely to be sent home or written up for dress code violations when a predetermined and uniform standard of dress is set. Such systems when put in place and appropriately enforced provide structure and stability which are conducive to an effective learning environment.
Studies support the notion that educational performance and behavior improves in more structured environments. Special education practices have repeatedly demonstrated the positive effects of structure and discipline on learning. It is safe to say that this science can be extended to the ideas of clothing and overall appearance. Few would disagree with the argument that excessive liberties in dress and appearance are at best a distraction to learning and achievement. I sincerely pray that the pendulum of cultural and social standards soon begins to swing back in the other direction for the sake of our children and our integrity.
In the meantime, I challenge parents and children, especially those who name the name of Christ to present an image that demonstrates conviction and consistency. Look to a higher standard of excellence that sets you apart from the world and its devices, better preparing you to face the challenge of the world beyond high school.
The attitudes of rebellion that were spawned in the ‘60s and ‘70s offered a license for some to challenge the barriers of cultural norms. There were dramatic shifts in hair styles and clothing choices as popular culture embraced rebellion and disdained social standards. This movement, carried on the shoulders of free speech, was lent credence from two powerful forces, Rock and Roll and Hollywood. In the wake of this wave of change, social institutions in turn responded with relaxed dress standards. The result is a growing population of young people who mock order and discipline with excesses in dress, appearance, body piercing, and body art.
In schools, shorts, t-shirts, baggy and sagging pants, short dresses, and tight clothing have replaced the modest and the neat. Extreme hair styles and bizarre clothing are permitted in the name of free speech and self-expression engendering a circus-like throng of children who look little prepared to behave and dress for success in the world. One cannot help but wonder what effect this phenomena has had on overall student learning.
Perhaps what we need is a revival of standards. One simple solution is the uniform dress codes. In such schools, students and teachers reflect attitudes of consistency and stability in their attire while minimizing the need for monitoring of students to adjust clothing or fix a dress code violation. Administration no longer has to be called on to rule whether or not a student’s clothing choice for the day falls within the district guidelines allowing teachers and administration to focus more on the business of learning. Students are less likely to be sent home or written up for dress code violations when a predetermined and uniform standard of dress is set. Such systems when put in place and appropriately enforced provide structure and stability which are conducive to an effective learning environment.
Studies support the notion that educational performance and behavior improves in more structured environments. Special education practices have repeatedly demonstrated the positive effects of structure and discipline on learning. It is safe to say that this science can be extended to the ideas of clothing and overall appearance. Few would disagree with the argument that excessive liberties in dress and appearance are at best a distraction to learning and achievement. I sincerely pray that the pendulum of cultural and social standards soon begins to swing back in the other direction for the sake of our children and our integrity.
In the meantime, I challenge parents and children, especially those who name the name of Christ to present an image that demonstrates conviction and consistency. Look to a higher standard of excellence that sets you apart from the world and its devices, better preparing you to face the challenge of the world beyond high school.
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