Church
The church is not a building. The church is a body of believers who follow Christ, our Lord and Savior.
State
The state represents the government at every level– local, state, and federal entities.
Background
The separation of church and state is established by the First Amendment’s Establishment and Free Exercise Clause. In summary, it prevents the government from interfering with religious practices, favoring one religion over another, or establishing an official religion, such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism. Yet, in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was common knowledge that public schools across America began their academic days with teacher-led prayers and bible lessons rooted in the Christian faith. In 1962, the Supreme Court ruled that state officials cannot mandate daily religious activities. Therefore, teachers cannot conduct teacher-led prayers and scripture readings in a public school setting; however, students can exercise their individual rights to pray. Additionally, everyone in America can exercise their individual rights to pray and practice their religion.
Think About It
Living in the south, I’ve been in more than one conversation about the separation of church and state. One individual said, “Our country went downhill once they removed prayer from schools.” Another person said, “School shootings are proof that we should put prayer back in school, so children can learn how to treat each other.” As I listened to these statements from the previous generation, I couldn’t relate to them. I was born in the 80s. We recited the Pledge of Allegiance and had a moment of silence each morning. I didn’t know what the “moment of silence” was for, so I usually looked around the room with one eye open until it ended. After that, we took a seat. Does that mean that my life was affected negatively because we didn’t have a designated moment of prayer in the mornings? I don’t know. Let’s go to the Father.
Go to the Father
Romans 8:38-39 states, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
When I read this passage of scripture, it reminds me that neither the Constitution nor the Supreme Court can separate a believer in Christ from our Lord and Savior. Our body is a temple. The Holy Spirit lives inside every believer. Galatians 5:22-23 states, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Therefore, we can’t blame the government for our troubles. We have to teach our children about Jesus Christ at home so they can have a personal relationship with Him. This relationship allows us to show love, kindness, and goodness toward people, even when they don’t treat us well. This relationship gives us the grace to be patient when a sinful world that is passing away gives us permission to be impatient. This relationship gives us the ability to practice self-control. For example, some things shouldn’t be said or written online. That’s why we go to the Father and talk about it. This relationship gives us a chance to experience unspeakable joy in the middle of our trials and tribulations. This relationship assures us that gentleness is not passive or weak; it is a fruit of the Spirit! This relationship grounds us and allows us to be a living example of faithfulness. This relationship cannot be governed!
When we live according to the WORD of God, people will become curious and want to know about the God we serve. This is not a new concept. Jesus told the disciples that the world would know that they belonged to Him by their love for one another (John 13:35). Teachers who follow Christ should be patient and kind; students who follow Christ should show love and kindness toward others. Principals who follow Christ should lead with love and board members who follow Christ should be patient and practice self control during meetings. This will shift the atmosphere in a public school system. We can’t blame the government because we stopped living like Christ commanded. The separation of church and state is not the problem. (That’s what the enemy wants us to believe). The true separation is between the church and our Savior, Jesus Christ.
#Think about it#
#Go to the Father#
#Pray about It#
#Soul-searching with our Father#
