Speaking in Code

Every group has a dress code in some form or another. There is inevitably some standard by which "in code" and "out of code" is determined. Even those who dwell in nudist colonies have a code of dress that involves no clothes. One can find out a tremendous amount about a school, company, association, organization, church, and family by observing its dress code. By observing what is allowed and what is discouraged, the moral premises and ideology will become apparent. Despite the old adage that one cannot judge a book by its cover, one can learn an awful lot by noticing how people dress.

There is another way that the idea of a dress code can be viewed. This nuanced definition involves the idea of speaking in code -- using some form of encryption to transmit a message that is hidden or not so obvious. When used from this perspective, the manner in which a person dresses is sending an encrypted message to others.

For example, an attorney showing up to court wearing shorts, sandals, and a beach hat would be showing contempt for his position as an officer of the court. Likewise, a woman showing up to her wedding in a nightgown and curlers would be communicating that this event was unimportant in her life. So a good question to ask ourselves and our children each and every time we leave the confines of our homes is what message is being communicated?

The "fashion" today for females is to advertise lots of cleavage along with a bare, exposed midriff. Sometimes clothing has words written across various body parts that are meant to draw attention to those specific locations. For young males the trend is to have oversized trousers that keep onlookers in suspense as to whether or not they will fall down after two or three steps. In all too many "professional" settings, pop culture has invaded business culture so that making a deposit at a local bank can be a source and circumstance of temptation and/or inadvertant voyeurism.

Christian parents (whether homeschooling their children or sending them to Christian day schools) should consider what message they and their children are communicating when interacting with the culture. If we are to let our light so shine among men, it follows that what we say, how we say it, and how we appear as we say it will be enhanced by this focused light. How counter-productive to have the attention drawn to us with provocative or overly fashion-conscious dress, rather than on the giving of glory to our Father in heaven.

We’re always speaking in code!!

Speaking Their Language

Americans have seen a tremendous influx of Spanish speaking immigrants into our country over the past 3 - 4 decades. Regardless of one's political bent on this issue, the fact remains that the majority of immigrant children are being educated in the public (state) school system. The natural consequence of such indoctrination and instruction will be graduates who embrace a humanistic/secular perspective and the agenda of an over-arching state.

The Chalcedon Foundation has recently embarked on a project to make a sizeable dent in this monopoly. If you route your browser to www.chalcedon.edu/espanol, you will find in Spanish Rushdoony's book The Philosophy of the Christian Curriculum (La filosofía del currículo cristiano), the "Introduction" to Volume One of The Institutes of Biblical Law (Institutos de la Ley Bíblica (Introducción), and my book Lessons Learned from Years of Homeschooling (Lecciones aprendidas de mis años educando en casa). Additionally, there are a number of translations from important articles from Faith for All of Life and numerous blog pieces. New articles are being added monthly.

Here's your assignment. We need to advertise this site as far and wide as possible. Most of us know someone whose native language is Spanish and who would benefit greatly from the perspective that Chalcedon propagates. Share this information with at least 2 - 3 people, encouraging them to pass it on to others.

In order to reach the nations with Chalcedon's message, plans are in the works to translate these offerings into other languages. These will eventually be accessible on the Chalcedon website.

It's Not the End of the World

I can remember a time in my life when I was convinced that everyone was looking at me. Whether it was an untimely blemish, a stain on my clothing, or my inherited missing teeth, I was positive that as soon as I walked outside the confines of my home, the entire population would notice imperfections in my person or my adornments. Once I passed my teenage years and made my way into adulthood, those "demons" followed me around with more "grown up" taunts. My job, my belongings, my status among my peers became areas of concern where I was sure everyone was looking at me and finding me inferior.

I'd like to say that once I became a parent these "end of the world" dilemmas had gone by the wayside. Not by a long shot. I then had additional dilemmas because of how my children behaved or how talented they were compared with others and how that reflected back on me. Like the time my daughter, having watched me tweeze my eyebrows, decided she was going to be like mommy and used her scissors to cut her eyebrows off. Then, to make an embarrassing situation worse (she was accompanying me to a conference the next day), she finished the portrait by cutting her bangs so short that she looked like a chemotherapy patient who had been given a haircut by a three-year-old. (Come to think of it, she was three at the time!) This time I was certain that everyone was looking at me, judging me as a sub-standard mother!

Well, today I was unknowingly given a test -- one which demonstrated to me that my sanctification is progressing. After a week of being in intense back pain that was not made appreciably better by four visits to the physical therapist, I decided to go see my tried-and-true chiropractor. I not only recounted my aches and pains and how I thought they came about, but in great detail told him of the less than laudable treatment I had suffered at the hands of some physical therapy assistants who had made the matter worse. After listening intently to my woes, pausing to consider all I'd relayed, with utmost care and concern he responded, "I have one question for you. Is there any good reason you are wearing two different shoes?"

I looked down in disbelief. Sure enough, just as he had observed, there I was standing in the treatment room wearing a brown clog on my left foot and a black sandal on my right. Now, he is a good doctor, but I believe the lessening of the pain in my back was at least partially the result of the wonderful chemicals that must have emanated throughout my body as a result of my hysterical laughter. Think of all the places I'd travelled parading this new fashion statement, as he called it, prior to coming to his office!

The best part about this episode is that after I left his office, I made my bank deposit, and went to the grocery store, not the least bit concerned that everyone was looking at me. Not even one little bit! I'm amazed that it has taken me this long to fully recognize that most people are never devoting much of their time looking at me anyhow; and if even if they are…it's certainly not the end of the world! Some benefits have accompanied all the gray hairs I've accrued over the years of being a wife, mother, and homeschool teacher. Among them, a realistic sense of my place in the world, not to mention a better sense of humor!

To the Young Mom

It was very nice seeing you yesterday with your husband and 16-month-old daughter. How wonderful to see the look of love and expectation in your eyes. You are a living testimony to that wonderful aspect of motherhood whereby God allows a mom to look at her child and see things that are lost on the average onlooker. The smile on your face when you spoke about her was akin to how you looked as a little girl when something you really, really appreciated was before you.

But, my dear friend, I also saw another look; one that I have witnessed in others and felt myself. It is the look of "This is all going by so fast! Will I do everything I'm supposed to do correctly? I think I may run out of time."

So, some advice from a woman who has passed the half-century mark, who has been married a couple of decades longer than you, and has been a homeschooling parent for all but three of her eldest’s 29 years of life. You have all the time you need if you commit your time to the Lord and endeavor to glorify Him and enjoy Him in all you do. Will you do everything correctly? Of course you won't. But, that is beside the point. By using the time you have while your little one is still quite young, you can prepare yourself to be her teacher, mentor, and counselor while preparing her to be the best daughter, possible sister, friend, and, eventually, wife. In other words, the journey is as important as the destination.

Find and cultivate relationships with other wives and mothers in different stages of life and learn from them through their mentoring and friendship. Don't think "book-learning" is so important that you neglect other vital aspects of education. Recognize that all of life can be used to teach about the Creator/Savior and that character is ultimately more important than academic achievement.

Keep in mind that someday you will be the older woman and will have the pleasure and privilege of sharing your experiences with those new to their wife and mother profession -- maybe even that little bundle you are currently chasing around the house. Hopefully you will be able to look back on your life, realizing when you honored God as a daughter, sister, and friend and when you didn't, and be able to share with her the lessons you've learned from maturing, confessing, and accepting the Lord’s forgiveness. All in all, I think you will find that being a mom is among the most rewarding of professions even though you don’t have alphabetic degrees after your name.

If I may adjust the words at the close of Proverbs 31 for you:

Look well to the ways of your household and do not eat the bread of idleness. Your children will rise up and call you blessed; your husband also, and he will praise you: "Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all."

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but as a woman who fears the Lord, you will be praised. You will be given the fruit of your hands, and your works will praise you in the gates.

Love,
A Seasoned Veteran

What's Love Got to Do with It?

My husband's occupation includes interacting with a wide range of people from various socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds. It is not unusual for him as the fleet manager of a large dealership to get to know his customers on more than just a casual basis. Throughout our years of homeschooling, thanks to the contact he has had with very satisfied customers, he has been able to arrange various "field-trips" for us ranging from personalized tours of the NASA-Ames research center, the deYoung Museum in San Francisco, and a chemical plant that made solid rocket fuel, to name but a few. Additionally, I have had the pleasure of talking with some of his customers when their occupations or interests have coincided with mine. This has resulted in a number of long-lasting family benefits as a result of their knowledge, experience, and expertise. Sometimes, he calls upon me to assist with situations or problems that exist in their lives (like adjusting to a new baby), a referral to a health-care practitioner, or (most recently) talking with a woman who has just begun to homeschool.

Bavani (not her real name) is a professor of engineering at a California university. Her husband is a software engineer working in the Bay area. She began to homeschool her six-year-old child this year after a very stressful and disappointing year in kindergarten. She said she was constantly at the school, lobbying for her child. Why? The teachers were doing nothing to curtail the abuse and ridicule he was getting from the "jocks" because he was a "nerd." She was concerned that, as a result of this negative interaction, he was going to conclude that being a serious student who cooperated with the teacher was something to be avoided since it brought about hassles with the other students.

Can you imagine! Jocks and nerds in kindergarten!

We talked for quite some time and I reassured her that, despite her husband's concerns that their son would not be able to compete in the adult world because he was homeschooled, she was positioning her family to meet the academic, social, and character building elements that make for a successful education. In the course of the conversation she made a very astute observation. She said, "So many of the teachers at the school he attended so obviously don't love children. You can see it in their eyes and their attitudes. Can you imagine teaching young children if you don't have a love for them?"

And that, in a nutshell, is the greatest blessing of the homeschool. Parents, who have a special God-given love and concern for their own children, are best equipped to exert the kind of discipline (both praise and correction) that will bring about responsible, mature adults. Even if the parents are not well-versed in all subject areas, with a bit of ingenuity and industry, they can find suitable learning arrangements for those subjects. Homeschooling is a good choice because it is a choice that honors the family, respects the parents, and allows the child to learn in a healthy, helpful environment.

(Note: If you haven’t already read The Harsh Truth About Public Schools, by Bruce Shortt, it should be on your reading list.)

A Journey to Nowhere

What happens to communication when people use the same words but define those words in very different ways? What if one person makes use of a dictionary to provide definitions and the other chooses to use a more "free-form" approach, focusing more on intuitive meanings? The outcome will eventually result in communication failure, due to unmet expectations and misunderstood intent. To push the point further -- if people having this hypothetical discussion don't share the same underlying principles for discussion, interaction, and truth, there will be much more than a failure to communicate. The result will be more like folks who don't speak each other's language trying to carry on meaningful discourse.

Take for example a flyer that came in my mailbox today addressed to "Resident" with the heading:

What if you and your best friends could reinvent how Church works?

Would you make it so that it wasn't just one person talking at you but everyone talking with each other?

Would you make it so experiments and experiences were more important that doctrine and dogmatism?

Would you make it easier to get to know people you have things in common with?

Based on this flyer, I can conclude that "Church" is an invention that can be reinvented according to preference. Also, doctrine and dogma are trumped by personal experiments and experience. And lastly, the common bond at "Church" needs to be something more than the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Along with times, dates, and location, the flyer pointed to a web address that offered the additional info:

The Journey is a church formed by people who don't like what normally passes for church. We started six years ago but this summer, we decided we want to reinvent ourselves. Mostly because we want to make sure we’re still the kind of church you'd like to be a part of.

We don't pretend to understand all of who God is. But our approach is to connect with Jesus and each other as we try to integrate faith in our lives.

We think relationship is better than judgment. We suspect asking questions is as important as finding answers. We think honesty and openness is better than the hypocrisy that passes for religion.

If we sound like the kind of people you'd like to be a part of, we want to meet you.

If spirituality intrigues you, but religion turns you off, join us as we recreate a place that all of us have ownership in.

The invitation explained that this group "intentionally sought out innovative methods to create a spiritual community of people who are growing in their understanding of God and who Jesus is." (Note: They are not suggesting that we should fear God and keep His commandments.)

Furthermore, they want all of us "Residents" to help them "design what happens not just on Sunday but during the rest of the week" as well. And, their "unique process gives anyone and everyone the opportunity to contribute to building a community of faith that fits their lifestyle." (Emphasis added.)

The words certainly do sound like words I have definitions for, but obviously my definitions would be very different from their definitions. I suppose that a culture that has made serious business of re-defining God, the family, the Constitution, and American History, to name a few, was bound to pick on the Church next. Who knows, before we are done, the need for dictionaries will be obsolete. After all, with re-inventing (re-defining) taking place, why codify anything at all? It might just become doctrine or dogma (as if their view isn’t).

Once again, if the education of young and old alike doesn't hammer home the point that there is NO NEUTRALITY, then we can assume new "churches" like the one advertising to me will be able to claim the high ground while busily perverting and nullifying the holy Word of God.

Where will Christian young people learn how to think if not in Christian schools and homeschools that deliberately and faithfully teach all subjects and disciplines from an orthodox and consistent biblical worldview? The resources and materials are out there to help this take place. Chalcedon's store is a good place to start. Cornerstone Christian School in California is offering online classes for high school students. Any parent who wants some inexpensive, yet very impressive course offerings, would do well to use these tools (either for educating themselves or their children) to stem the tide of all the current journeys to nowhere that our culture offers.