A Flourishing Vision

Community Christian School’s vision statement is “Community Christian School will ignite a zeal for Christian education in a flourishing, rigorous learning environment supported by a living, dynamic curriculum.” As I reflect on our vision statement, two different metaphors come to mind.
The first is related to the two images that are included in this editorial. Both pictures are of Death Valley in California. Death Valley is the lowest, driest and hottest spot in North America. We do not associate Death Valley with life or flourishing. Yet, the majesty of God’s creation is evident is this barren place. When the conditions are just right and the rare time that rain falls, Death Valley springs to life. The photo with the yellow flowers was taken in the spring of 2005 during a desert bloom. Life and the potential for growth are always present in Death Valley. The only thing that is needed for a flourishing desert is the right amount of rainfall. Even the most desolate of places can flourish. In a school, we must remember and believe that all students can flourish. We just need to have the right conditions. Creating the right conditions for all students to learn is the challenge of our vision statement.

The second metaphor comes from the book by Andy Crouch called, “Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power.” The author is looking at creation and points out that the word teeming is used in Genesis to describe the creation of living things. We can also use the word swarming. Teeming, swarming and flourishing have a sense of wildness to them, they are unpredictable in nature. There is overflow and excess of life. Think about swarms of bees, birds or fish. This is God’s delight. Andy Crouch uses this metaphor, “God is not seeking a world full of pets, individually domesticated animals bred to be attentive to their human masters. He delights in wildness. God breathed into existence the vast spaces of earth, sky and sea where these creatures can teem.” What happens if we change the words pets to students and masters to teachers? What is wildness in education? What do open, vast spaces for learning look like or what are they? I am not sure of the answers to those questions; however, I believe that if we try to implement answers to those questions, we would be closer to fulfilling our vision.
Please pray that at Community Christian School will be a place that allows all students to flourish. Pray that we may be a place of teeming, swarming students, eager to explore the vast spaces of God’s creation. Have a blessed week.