It’s that time of the year when schools are doing their big outings. And, for one school in particular, the policy has always been that these must involve an educational as well as a recreational component.
All of which may explain why one class of Grade 8 students was wandering through a museum with little enthusiasm on a sunny June morning. For some reason, the displays of antique farm equipment did not “turn them on.”
Their teacher, looking at their long faces, made the concession that they could leave as soon as they had learned something significant. That little hurdle, however, took all of 15 minutes. Maybe less.
“Solar power . . .” was the answer of the museum’s curator.
This was in response to an argument some of the students were having about how a big old threshing machine was powered. Things like diesel, steam and horses had been suggested.
“Stored solar power,” the curator continued when he knew that he had their attention. After a few subtle questions he elicited the fact that all carbon fuel owes its power to plants. And, somewhere in time plants had absorbed, converted and stored the sun’s energy. Solar power was behind it all.
“You win,” said the teacher when she saw 28 heads turn their direction. “Let’s go to FantasyLand . . .”
The museum curator declined the invitation to join them.
Maybe churches would do well to acknowledge the same sort of thing. As it says of Jesus, “he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him . ..” (Hebrews 5:9).
Nothing there about belonging to any particular church or denomination ...