As we read the Christian Scriptures, it is apparent that the people of God are called to lives of conformity and non-conformity. The life of conformity that we are called to is to live by God’s standards. We are invited to be holy because God is holy (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:16). In Jesus, we have the opportunity to take on His yoke as we are invited into a new life that is in Christ. This new life is variously described in Scripture and includes seeking after the Kingdom of God and loving and serving others.
The people of God are also encouraged to live lives of non-conformity. Again, this highlights that following Jesus is an invitation to live according to a way that is consistent with God’s holiness, rather than some other way of living with God absent from our day to day.
Earlier this week, we had our Colour Splatacular Run, which was one of the celebratory events marking Heathdale’s 40th Anniversary and was also a way that we could offer support Christian schools in Ukraine during this time.
One question I was asked in preparation for this event was how Christianity is evident in this Fun Run. My answer was simple, it very much relates to the above. For those of us who profess to follow Christ, we need, through God’s Holy Spirit, to always be reflecting on the patterns by which we live. We need to be considering to what extent all that we do, including the education that we offer, is either consistent or inconsistent with our call to conform to God’s standards.
With respect to the wonderful day that we enjoyed, I was reminded that we are invited to be creative as we express our Christian faith, including education, and we are invited to live in community with each other and to love our neighbours as ourselves. It is my hope that these were on display this week in the Colour Splatacular Fun Run and that they are always on display in the everyday life that we enjoy at Heathdale Christian College.
Finally, as this term unfolds, many of our students will be engaging in Semester 1 exams. For some students this is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what they learnt and express this in their papers. Yet, it can also be a time of stress. As with all that we do, I would certainly be encouraging all readers of this newsletter to be praying for our students as we look to educate them in partnership.