Wise Words With... 

Swimming Carnival

School has had a brilliant start to the year. Twice last week I wandered through all the classes and was impressed with how students were engaged and focussed on their work. 

On Friday, the swimming carnival was a resounding success. In the face of hot weather, student participation was high, the splash park for primary and the dash lane for secondary were extremely popular.

More importantly, I saw students, staff and parents all relating well. This is a key focus of our school and is reflective of our Christian worldview which prioritises relationship. In Ephesians 4, Paul writes to the church in Ephesus, exhorting them:

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

He is instructing them how to relate well to each other. Humility. Gentleness. Patience. Bearing with each other. Keeping unity. Peace. This is a good challenge, particularly in a school setting; but what a blessing when we see these things happen.

In Revelations 3, Jesus says

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

This is God’s Son, inviting us for a meal, illustrating to us the depth of relationship He desires. We are made for relationship because we are made in God’s image, and God is a relational god. This is why we value relating well in our school setting.

I am tremendously thankful for the way the school year has started. Good relationships, good teaching, students engaged, students focussed. We are taking our cue from how the God of the universe made us to be. Brilliant.