I teach Sunday School to high schoolers. I am also a liberal and cynic. So liberal that I claimed to be a socialist in college. Nothing made me more angry than conservative politicians justifying terrible actions by dragging GOD into it. Now, I’m a Sunday School teacher and a deacon in the Presbyterian Church.

I came to teaching Sunday School through the back door. I married a minister’s daughter. This makes a defacto member of the minister’s family and means that I will be volunteered for duties at the church. This included teaching Sunday school. I did my research and I made sure that I was marrying into a faith I could believe in.

My parents were lapsed Catholics. About the time that I was five, they became Cheasters (Christmas and Easter only). A few years later, Easter became optional. Additionally, I attended the most liberal high school in New York City. While I was willing to accept some spiritual benefit of religion, I also felt it was a way to excuse people from thinking rationally and to excuse behavior that was otherwise inexcusable. I never expected to attend a church full time.

Five years in, I’m a believer. I don’t just show up and do my family duties (though I certainly do that). I pray. I read the Bible. I do it all.

At first, I thought there would be problems resolving my faith to my politics, but there actually isn’t any at all. I believe there are several key tenets to Christianity:

Forgiveness

Matthew 6:14
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

The most important fact to remember is that if you believe in Jesus, your sins will be forgiven. The Bible repeatedly shows us how humans are not perfect and they cannot help but sin constantly. I am incensed by fundamentalists who use this as an excuse to rail against those they perceive as sinners and to flagellate themselves in trying to be perfect. You are only human. If you believe, you are forgiven.

Now, if you truly believe, you are trying hard to not sin, but if you do, you are forgiven. An extension of this is that you need to forgive others as well. Rather than protesting funerals or talking about how disasters are God’s way of punishing sinners, we need to forgive and love those who we believe to be wrong. We need to find constructive ways of helping them to lead better lives. Not perfect lives, but better lives.

I am constantly filled with envy. I continually compare myself to other people and feel as though I was cheated. I try hard to stop this, but I can’t. I keep trying and keep asking for forgiveness. Nobody is perfect.

Judge Not

1Judge not, that ye be not judged.

2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

5Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

Matthew 7:1-5
¹ Judge not, that you be not judged. ² For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. ³ Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? ⁴ Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

Given that none of us are perfect, who are we to even judge another? It is God’s role to judge, not ours. I really believe that unless somebody asks for my help with their sins, it is not my place to help them with it.

People do ask for help all the time, but they do it in different ways. They don’t ask for help in overcoming their self-pity, they ask why they can’t find a long-lasting relationship. It is still not your role to tell them that they are wrong, but rather to help them do right.

Again, I am angered every time a Christian condemns somebody else—strangers, even—as sinners. I do it too; I’m doing it right here. I can’t justify it, but how else can we interpret the Bible without applying it to actions we see in real life? Knowing the right thing to do is not always easy. That’s why we pray for guidance.

Love

Matthew 5: 43-45
⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Jesus brings us a message of love. He wants us to love all people, friends and enemies alike. This is a very tall order, but one that we should strive for. I find that this fits nicely in with the liberal preference for rehabilitation and diplomacy over harsh jail terms and war.

Charity

Matthew 25:40
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Giving to others is essential to being a Christian. While not everybody is rich, we find ways to give. We give time, we give knowledge, we give hope. Interpreting this is at the heart of arguments about social programs. Liberals view them as a way of giving help to those less fortunate. Conservatives view removing social programs as a way of giving guidance and discipline. Either way, it’s important to remember that Christianity preaches charity not just for those who receive it. Giving to other people is beneficial to the spirit of the giver also.

Gratitude

2 Corinthians 9:15
Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

I find the best thing about being a religious person is that I have somebody to thank for all that I have. Great days, beautiful sunrises, minor miracles: it’s nice to have an appropriate reaction to these. Every time I pray, I start by thanking God for all the things I have. This helps me to remain grateful and not take small things—like my lovely wife—for granted.

I try to keep these pillars of Christianity in mind while preparing my lessons.

Since I am teaching high schoolers, I put my emphasis on preparing them for life in the real world. Let’s be honest, most people do not attend a church regularly. Of those who do, fewer and fewer are mainline Protestants. Living a devout life in the real world is not easy.

What it means to be a Christian


Right now, they attend church because their parents force them to. One day, they’ll have to decide for themselves. I want them all to understand what it means to stay in the church as an adult. I know that some of them will not continue on, but I want them to make the choice for themselves. I just think you make decisions better if you make them honestly.

Living by Christian morals even if you’re not a Christian


Even if my students do not choose to stay members of a Christian church, I hope they continue to live by the morals they learn from the church. There are so many important lessons that Jesus taught that all people should follow. Just because you don’t show up to church or read the Bible doesn’t mean you can’t be a good person.

Living as a Christian in a non-Christian World


I teach tolerance of other faiths. I personally believe that other religions may be equally valid, though I don’t teach that specifically. I do stress that it’s not appropriate to criticize another person’s faith. Nor is it appropriate to criticize somebody’s lack of faith.

There is no reason to keep your faith secret, but there is also no reason to crow about it. People will ask what you did over the weekend and you can tell them honestly. “I went to church and we had a meatball cook off afterwards.” Some people will be curious; others will be turned off. Gentleness in both cases are effective. Let people get to know who you are as a whole person, not just by your religion.


No political party has a monopoly on Jesus


It is valid to say that conservatives often give more respect to people who make Christianity central to their life. It is also valid to say that liberals actively promote a wide assortment of programs designed to help those less fortunate. Politics and religion are separate. Let your faith inform your politics—it’s part of who you are—but don’t let the two cloud each other.

Matthew 22:21
Then saith he unto them, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's."

I am not a theologian. I am not an expert on the Bible or on Christianity. I am one person trying to resolve his faith to his way of life and trying to provide a little guidance to teenagers in the same position.

Exodus 20:1-17

Exodus 20:1-17

¹ And God spoke all these words:
² “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
³ “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.
⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
⁷ “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
⁸ “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any alien residing in your towns. ¹¹ For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
¹² “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
¹³ “You shall not murder.
¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.
¹⁵ “You shall not steal.
¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
¹⁸ When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance 19 and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.”

The Ten Commandments is a great lesson to teach and should be revisited in each age group. I’ve taught it to preschoolers, 1st and 2nd grade, junior high, and this was my first time teaching it to high schoolers. My goal is always to get them to understand how it applies to real life.

I can’t help but mention those people who claim that there’s no problem with putting the Ten Commandments in government buildings because “they’re just good rules for everybody to follow” and that they’re not inherently religious. The first seven verses—half of the Commandments are devoted to how we interact with God. These people must either be unfamiliar with what the Commandments actually are, or literally unable to see how non-Judeo-Christian people see the world.

For a Christian, however, these are the principle rules to follow.

The List

Today, I didn’t bother having the students read the passage. They’ve read it many times in class already. So I started with having them list the Commandments from memory. This is especially tricky because different religious branches number them differently. Even among Christians. Check it out.

The class was able to name nine, which is not bad. They forgot “craven images,” which is an easy one to forget. Then I gave them a handout with the list.

What is the easiest Commandment to keep?

“No murder!”
“What about bugs?”

Exactly. What about bugs? Is murder limited solely to humans?

“What if a mosquito bites me?”

In this translation, it says specifically not to murder. This is the phrasing most churches and temples use now. However, for a long time, it was “Thou shall not kill.” If a mosquito bites you and you hit back, maybe it’s not murder. But if killing bugs could be murder, stomping on ants would be. It’s killing for no reason. In the end, I admit that it’s unlikely that this Commandment would apply to animals, but cruelty to animals is still wrong.

What else?

“Adultery.”

Really? You guys think it’s easy?

“None of us are married!”

Does adultery only apply to marriage? Can it apply to any committed relationship? They hadn’t considered that. Also, how far do you have to go for it to be considered adultery? Is kissing enough? They hadn’t considered. Also, committing adultery may not only apply to the person in the relationship. If you knowingly act with somebody in a relationship, does that count as adultery?

Any others?

“Honor your mother and father.”
“Really?”
“Really?”
“That one’s HARD.”

What are the hardest Commandments to keep?

The Commandment says, “honor your mother and father.” Does that mean obey them? Do you have to do everything they say? What if they’re wrong?

“Today, I was laying down on the pew during the call to worship. My father dragged me up by my ear.”

I don’t want to comment on the methods, but we’re supposed to stand at that point.

What happens when you become an adult? I’m married now and I simply have to put my wife’s needs ahead of my mother’s. That’s how marriage works. Am I still honoring her? The big what if: you have parents who are destructive to your life or even abusive. How much are you required to honor them? I concede that honor is a two way street. You really honor things that honor you back.

The same kid with the ear: “Does this mean I don’t have to listen to my father?”

I know all of your parents. They may not be perfect, but they’re all decent. But maybe honoring and obeying aren’t always the same thing.

Anything else?

“Lying!”

Is it really about all lying? This translation says specifically not “give false testimony.” Does that only mean in court? Many other translations say “bear false witness against.” That may not mean only court, but it may apply to any accusations you make. That sounds a lot like mean rumors. Plus what about false compliments? “You look great! I love your hair!” Are we expected to be honest all the time? Are you even able to be a good person if you’re always honest? This one is tough.

I decide to bring up a few others.

Taking the Lord’s name in vain

Some people think this applies to any kind of vulgarity. But is the name of the Lord really the F bomb? What is even the purpose of this Commandment?

“Is it like when you get angry and shout Jesus’ name?”

It is.

“How is that different from praying?”

Would you like it if somebody shouted your name when they got upset or stubbed their toe? But what if they thanked you when you did something right? Or asked for your help when you really needed it?

Remembering the Sabbath Day

What are you guys going to do after church today?

“Homework.”
“Homework.”
“We’re going to go out to eat, then go to my grandmother’s for dinner.”
“I have to clean the garage, THEN do my homework!”

So, you guys are working on the Sabbath? You’re not supposed to do ANY work. I’m as guilty as they are. I’m going to clean out the fridge, then go food shopping. Not only that, but I missed church almost all of August because I was working. This is tough. We’re supposed to spend the day resting and contemplating God. Doing family stuff is okay, probably, but working is not.

“Why does it mention aliens? You can’t make aliens work?”

It doesn’t just mention aliens—who are foreigners—it also mentions servants. This means you can’t force somebody else to work, even if they don’t believe in the same religion as you. It’s tempting to treat somebody differently just because they don’t follow the same rules as you, but you are supposed to be kind to everybody.

How many Commandments have you broken?

Don’t tell me which ones, just how many?

“Seven.”
“Eight.”
“Eight.”
“Eight.”
“Nine.”

That’s a lot. Are we all sinners? They stare at the ground. Nobody is perfect. While these are the most important rules to follow, we will break some of them. It’s hard to do the right thing. If it wasn’t we all would all the time.

But remember, if we believe all sins are forgiven. But part of believing is to try as hard as you can, to know when you’re wrong, and to try to do better. Belief isn’t talk; it’s action.

So don’t feel so bad!

A promise

I want everybody to pick a Commandment that they’re not going to break this week.

“Murder!”

I should have seen that coming.

Let’s say one you broke this past week. And pick a hard one. It should be a challenge.

“Taking the Lord’s name in vain. I say Jesus Christ when I get impatient.”
“Lying.”
“The Lord’s name.”
“Honor your parents. I’m going to be nice to my mom.”
“Lying.”

I announce to the class that I’m not going to covet. Far too often, I’m jealous of other people, the professional success they have and the money that goes with it. Being bitter hurts me, so I’m not going to do it.

Keeping the Commandments

This was one of my best lessons. With the younger kids, I would be more inclined to give them explicit definitions of each Commandment. With the older kids, I’d rather have them thinking. Being a good person is never black and white and nobody is 100% good. I hope that I left them thinking about how to be a better person.

Revelation 22:1-5

Revelation 22:1-5

¹ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Preparing this lesson was difficult. I dislike teaching the Book of Revelation. I find it’s so often used by religious fundamentalists to justify extreme positions. People use descriptions of the apocalypse to scare people about what will happen if they don’t follow the rules. This goes against several central tenets of Christianity (hope, forgiveness, love).

Also, I dislike discussing heaven. I feel like trying to describe heaven is a silly endeavor. Heaven is supposed to be greater than you can imagine, so why are you imagining it? Additionally, the concept of making sacrifices now for heaven later makes it sound like living a good Christian life is a punishment. People should believe that being a good Christian makes you feel good.

I decided to use my concerns in my lesson.

What is Heaven like?

I started by asking my students to describe heaven.

“White clouds. Gates. Dudes with harps.”

“White clouds.”

Okay, nobody is allowed to say something somebody else already said. So no white clouds.

“All the dead people I know waiting for me.”

“Everybody has their own mansion.”

“I’m not allowed to name anything anybody else said? Heath Ledger.”

I described my heaven as sitting on a dock in the mountains, playing Civilization with my friends.

What was Israel like?

So now I asked the students to describe what Israel was like when this passage was written. They immediately jumped on war-torn (I pointed out that Revelation was written about the time that the Temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, one of the major acts of warfare in the Judeo-Christian history). It took a surprisingly long time for them to admit it was a desert. I pointed out how not only does this mean very little water, it also means little variety in food. I explained how without greenhouses and planes, food could only be harvested during specific seasons and otherwise had to be dried.

Has anybody ever had dried fruit? They agree that raisins are great, but they dislike prunes and craisins. None of them have had dried apples, but I assure them that they’re disappointing.

We turn back to review the passage again. This description of Heaven includes “the healing of the nations,” “the river of the water of life,” and “the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.” People tend to see in heaven what they don’t have. I ask my students, is there somebody who died that they miss? An uncle. Do they have to share a room? And who want to live in a Heath ledger-less world? I admit that I miss the friend group I left behind in LA and I explain that Civilization is a board game that has been out of print for more than 20 years. Copies of it cost around $200. It is very natural to expect Heaven to reward us with those things that we lack now.

How does Heaven compare to what we already have?

But all of us forgot to include in Heaven the things we have now. I even forgot to mention my wife. I love my wife a great deal and I would not want any kind of existence without her. But because I already have her now, it is natural to forget to include her in my picture of Heaven. That is the very definition of taking something for granted. I reminded my students that as much as we hope to be rewarded later, we should remember that God has given many great things in our life already and we should be thankful for those.

We have access to enormous amounts of food all year round. The early Christians would view our supermarkets as Heaven. They couldn’t possibly understand how greenhouses allow us to grow plants off season, how refrigerators allow us to keep food all year long, and how planes allow us to transport food from where it is currently in season to us. While these are exactly what they want in Heaven, they are unimaginable to somebody living in the late first century.

And this may be what Heaven is like. At several points the Bible explains how the intentions of God are unknowable. This is helpful when the world is too complicated for us to understand. We have trouble reconciling a God that is all-loving with a God who allows disasters and tragedies to occur. Christians are taught to have faith that God knows what he’s doing and we might not be able to understand it. Similarly, Heaven is likely something unknowable, unimaginable, but it is exactly what we need. It might not even be someplace we go when we die. It might be the place inside ourselves that lights up when we are closest to God, when we’re following His path, when we’re helping other people and sharing love. We have faith that God understands.