An Open Letter to an Unknown Substitute Teacher

✢ Anni Ponder Evans ✢

Backstory: Recently, a substitute teacher I do not know made waves at her local public elementary school when she asked the children to raise their hands to show they knew Jesus. This being a school in a small, rural town with conservatism at its core, all but one girl raised their hands. The teacher then asked everyone to raise their hands if they did not know Jesus, and this time only the one hand rose. The teacher then remarked to that girl, “Oh, that is so very sad.” Naturally, the girl told her parents about the incident, and they contacted the school. The administration responded by telling the substitute that she would not be invited back to teach again. What follows is my letter to the substitute.
Dearest Sister in Christ,

I have heard through the grapevine (and so I cannot be sure of the details) of the situation that led you to losing your job with Vale. As a sister in Christ, I want to reach out and offer some thoughts, and hopefully some comfort as well.

Being a follower of Yeshua is hard, eh? We walk this fine line between Scriptures like “Let your gentleness be evident to all” and things like “we also boast in God.” How can that be? Gentleness and boasting seem at the opposite end of the spectrum. What are we to do with this paradox?

Then we’re told, in the Great Commission, to go and tell everyone about Him and bring the Gospel to every person. However, we are also admonished to do as our government tells us and not create trouble. Well, what are we supposed to do if our government prohibits sharing the Gospel in certain situations? Sigh. This is hard.

Sister, I won’t say I have the answers. I’m not a Bible scholar, a pastor, or anything fancy at all. I am, however, a lifelong follower of Yeshua, and I’m also a teacher. I’d like to offer my perspective, and also invite you for a conversation over coffee or tea (in the spirit of Yeshua’s pattern for resolving issues). I would love to hear more about what happened that day in the classroom, and whatever else you might like to share.

Here’s the thing, Sister. When we look at the above paradoxes, we have to figure out what we are going to do. Will we be gentle, or boastful? Shall we preach the Gospel no matter what, or respect the law of the land? This is a hard place to be. But, Yeshua never said following Him would be easy. He only said we would have Help.

One thing I tell my daughters when we discuss paradoxes is that there is one place I always look for answers: Yeshua on the cross. That is the truest moment I know. There was Love, in all strength and power, choosing to suffer and die on our behalf. Whenever I am confused by seeming contradictions in Scripture, I go to the foot of the cross and ask what I can learn. And every time, I learn that no matter what, God is good, and spares nothing to save me. And also, He is gentle, meek, humble, and submissive--even unto death on a cross.

How does this help us understand what happened in your classroom? Well, it makes me want to ask some questions. First, I am sure your motives were in the right place, asking those children about their faith. I know you meant to bring to the foreground those who had placed their trust in Jesus, and you were likely hoping to encourage anyone who had not yet done so, to know they were among friends who could help point the way. Right?

But here’s my question: have you ever been singled out as the odd kid? Have you ever noticed you’re different from everyone else, and now they’re all looking at you?

I have, and I can tell you it does not feel good. Instead, it brings shame, embarrassment, and sometimes resentment. Upon being told “oh, how sad” about her belief (or unbelief, if you will), that little girl probably didn’t feel a burning desire to run straight into the loving arms of this God she knew little of...instead, I would submit, she probably felt ostracized, otherized, and different.

Again, I am sure you didn’t mean that. I am certain your heart was in the right place.

I wonder, did you hope that maybe, if the little girl felt out of place, she would choose Christ and join the crowd? Perhaps not, but it’s important to consider. Would this technique work? Could shaming someone with the Gospel do some good? 

Shame is a powerful motivator. And it’s everywhere...our economy is based on shame (buy this widget or join our club so you’re not different from everyone else). Everywhere we look, people point fingers at one another and ask, incredulous, “How could you?” 

But shame never leads to genuine love. It is rooted in fear, and can only lead to more fear. And as we know, God’s perfect Love casts that rubbish out.

Even in the church, shame lurks. Have you ever known anyone who was shamed into coming to Yeshua? I have, and I can tell you, their faith is forced and heavy. And it usually doesn’t stick. It’s like the seeds that fell among the thorns...choked out by cares and worries. They most often end up worse off than if they had never heard His name, and in more desperate conditions than they were before.

As a fellow teacher, I also wonder about the strategy you used to have students identify their faith preference. Have you thought about how this might have felt to them? Unless we are asking for a show of hands demonstrating equally admirable things (like whether they prefer cats or dogs), teachers should never require students to identify with anything that could make them feel otherized. Our number one job as educators is to make young people feel valuable, included, and seen. 

Of course, I know you didn’t mean to make this young girl feel that way. Again, I am sure you had the best intentions. 

Another concern I have is your willingness to bring up a religious matter in public school. This is too big an issue to tackle here, but I would remind us all that the separation between church and state has been bought at incredible cost. There is absolutely no reason for a teacher to bring a question of faith into a public school classroom. And I say that as a devoted Christian with public school students of my own. Do I want them to know Christ? Absolutely. Do I pray for them? You bet. Do they know I’m a Christian? Unlikely, unless they come right out and ask. But I did not become a public school teacher so I could win souls to Christ--that is not my day job. My day job is to love on kids and make them feel welcome in my classroom. If I do that job well enough, they might wonder about the Light inside me, and if they ask, it’s my Constitutional right to tell them about the Source of that Light. But only if they ask, and never if they don’t. And never, ever, to make them feel bad.

So, about those paradoxes. If we can only be one thing at a time, I think choosing gentleness over boasting is a step in the right direction. If we must either spread the Good News overtly or stay true to our duty as public servants, I say leave the preaching to those in the proper context for that work, and we can stick to our job descriptions as educators. And anywhere else we find paradoxes, let us look to our dying Messiah and ask what He would have us do.

Sister, I know you meant well. And the good news is this: it’s not the end of the story! Perhaps Yeshua has a way of mending the situation, and can bring about some beauty, healing, and growth for all involved. Have you thought about how incredibly meaningful it would be for that little girl to receive a heartfelt, humble apology note? I can imagine the impact would be great. How beautiful for her and her family to see a Christian in repentance, asking for forgiveness!

Though some may have called for your credentials to be revoked, I don’t think this should be the end of your teaching career. I have certainly made errors in my own classroom, and have had to take time off from teaching as a result. But the world needs teachers who care--the children need you!--and I hope you will come back to the profession when the time is right. Just maybe with a little more gentleness and humility.

Like I said, I’m speaking from experience here. I know it isn’t easy. But you’re among friends, and Yeshua is able to take our greatest flops and turn them into brilliance. 

May His name be praised forevermore.

With love,

Anni
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Mariann - August 19th, 2023 at 8:56am

Good thoughts here!