Prayer in Schools

I Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

The college professor walked into class the first day in a pair of blue jeans with rips in them, an old sweatshirt with the sleeves pushed up past his elbow and an ancient pair of leather sandals with socks. His gray hair was short and spiky, his beard scraggly and in his 50 some-odd year old ear was an earring.

At first glance, several students began to formulate in their minds ways to take the class at another university over the summer term. He was the only one who taught the entry level education class, and it was required for a Bachelor's degree in Education. What could this left over flower child have to teach us?

Five minutes into the first lecture, while the class was discussing the discipline problems in the public school classroom, one young woman from the back of the room popped in with her opinion. "If we would just put prayer back in school."

WHAM! His textbook hit the table as he slammed it down. "Uh-oh here it comes" we thought. "He's headed into the whole Separation of Church/State agenda." One woman even wondered if she could get out the door without being noticed so she could run and drop the class right then.

"I am so tired of this." He bellowed. "Just who told you that you couldn't pray?"

What? No politically correct jargon?

He sat down on the edge of the table, and faced the class with tears in his eyes. "My bible tells me to "pray without ceasing" and to "go into my closet". I don't have to stand up in front of someone or pray on the street corner with bells on my clothes for God to hear my prayers."

Whoa! Where was that coming from?

"I pray everytime I stand up from my desk and face a roomful of students that I will be able to dispense some of the knowledge that God has blessed me with to others. I pray that I will live my life so that others will see Jesus in me. I pray for those who hurt. I thank God for the miracles that he sends us everyday." He paused and looked around the room. "And the last time I checked, I didn't need a court order to pray for any of those things."

He wiped his eyes and picked up the textbook. "If you're waiting for a judge to tell you that it's ok to pray, then perhaps I should pray for you." And with that, he went on with the lecture.

I didn't make it out the door...and I didn't drop the class. But I did get an eye-opening reminder to look past what I see on the outside.