Since the first day of school, it has been
evident that we face many cultural differences and battles with the system. The
greatest of these has no doubt been their means of punishment. I’ve spent most
of my prayer time this month covering the faculty and students, and asking the
Lord for wisdom and guidance on my part.
I’ll never forget the first moment I saw it.
A few of the students didn’t turn in their homework, so the teacher gave them a
stern look and unaffectedly replied, “Well then, go fetch a stick.” Moments
later one of the young boys came back in the room with a long stick, actually
wrapped in plastic wrap. They winced in pain as they each received a whipping
on their hands and returned to their desks. They tried to begin writing in
their notebooks, but they again winced in pain again, bearing the marks of
their physical chastisement. Some of the older boys even turned their heads in
attempt to hide their silent tears. This may have been the first time I
witnessed the corporal punishment, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
A few days later, I caught one of the younger
girls cheating in my class. As she looked up at me with her big and desperate
eyes, I knew that she would receive an intense beating the moment I turned her
in. I couldn’t bear the thought of her body being struck and her eyes welling
up in tears as I had seen so many times before. I had decided from the
beginning that no matter what, I would never hit one of the children, and when
other teachers decided to do so, I would leave in disapproval. The teachers
gained their respect with fear driven by the beating and belittling of the
students, so I knew that gaining respect for me would be a challenging task.
encouragement and positive reinforcement would be enough, but after one day of
that, I remembered that some of them viewed me as fresh meat. Being the new,
white teacher, the students considered me to be soft and an easy target for
their misbehavior. Without grade books, hovering parents, or personal
ambitions, how could I drive these students to succeed in school when the only
persuasive factor they’ve known has been fear?
On the first day, the principal announced
that the faculty would begin each Wednesday morning with a prayer and
devotional preceding the morning assembly. This Wednesday was the second week,
and it was my day to share the devotional thoughts. As I was preparing last
night, I was struggling to think of a topic that would be applicable for both
the teachers and the students. As I was praying and studying, the Lord led me
to a section of Job that I’ve grown to love. However, I didn’t see it as a
topic that the faculty would particularly appreciate. As with many other
circumstances in my life, I figured the Lord knew what He was doing, so I
decided to listen and obey.
As the morning assembly began, I
opened my bible to Job 32 and started telling the teachers about Job’s young
friend, Elihu. At this point in the story, Job had become “righteous in his own
eyes”, so his three friends had stopped responding to him. However, Elihu had
become angry with Job (for justifying himself rather than God) and his friends
for condemning rather than refuting Job. At first, Elihu held his tongue,
knowing that the other men were older and wiser in years. However, his anger
aroused in him and he spoke up saying:
“I am
young in years, and you are old; that is why I was fearful, not daring to tell
you what I know. I thought ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach
wisdom.’ But it is the Spirit in a man,
the breath of the Almighty that gives him understanding. It is not only the
old who are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.” Job 32:6-9
I explained that we sometimes must
be humbled and remember that we can learn even from those younger than us, and
that as youths we are called to find our wisdom from the Spirit, not our
personally gained knowledge. Yes we are called to respect our elders, our
fathers and mothers, and the students should rightfully respect the faculty,
but not out of fear. They should show respect and be given respect in return,
for it is the Spirit of the Lord that lives in them and calls us to learn from
them!
The bell rang and we closed with a
prayer. Without knowing their reactions, we left the teachers lounge and went
into the courtyard for the morning assembly. I shared the message with the
students, reminding them to respect their elders, but teaching them that the
One true God desires to fill them with His wisdom and understanding. I told them
that I had already learned so much from them, and that they were at this school
for a purpose. I told them that they were loved. By the power of God, they
could move mountains. Their heavenly Father had promised them a future; a
future filled with hope and prosperity. I told them that they were the future
of their nation, and if they believed in their Father, He had called each and
every one of them to greatness in their lives. I told them that with the Lord
on their side, they had the power to change the future of their country and
their own destiny.
After the assembly, I somewhat
expected the teachers to fester some hard feelings against me. They had worked
so hard to show the students who was in charge. They had made their authority
known by putting their students in place through fear and abuse – physical and
mental. This morning, I told the teachers that the Lord wanted to teach them
something through the students. I empowered the students and told them to speak
up in boldness and wisdom from the Spirit. I would understand if my message
went unappreciated. When I looked up, the first person waiting for me was the
principal. With a big smile on his face he said, “Pastor Howard, that was
incredible.”
He told me that realizing the
Spirit and wisdom within my friends and I, he wanted to hear more from us. We
set a schedule so that we would each share a message again before our
departure.
The beatings still continue.
The cultural differences still exist, and the educational system is still
flawed – theirs and ours. But I believe the Father has given them a message of
hope and love, and I pray that things will only get better for El Shaddai
Primary School.
Meet the beautiful children:
the future of Swaziland…
