What about Your Kids?
One of the questions we are asked most when we share our plans is, "what about your kids?" Sometimes the question seems to go deeper than "what about school?" or "do they want to go?" Sometimes it sounds more like, "why would you take your family THERE?" To which we would say, "what about their kids?"
While we are encouraged that people care about our kids, we want to focus on care for others--we want our kids to care for others. We want them to see us say 'yes' to Jesus even when it's hard and uncomfortable. We want them to grow up with friends who are different from them and learn their stories. Ultimately, we truly think this is what is best for our kids. Our primary goal is to raise our kids to follow Jesus.
We've been watching the fantastic show The Chosen. As Jesus and His followers are headed to Jerusalem, they have a choice to make on which route to travel. Jesus starts on the direct route, but Andrew protests, "forgive me, Teacher, it's safer to go around Samaria." Jesus responds "did you join me for safety reasons?" Do we think Thunder Bay is unsafe for us and the kids? Absolutely not! It's no less safe than staying in Pennsylvania. That scene ends with Jesus scolding the disciples "If we have to have a question and answer session every time we do something that's a little uncomfortable for you, we're going to have a very annoying time together." Life in Thunder Bay might be a little uncomfortable. Leaving Pennsylvania certainly is.
We are more concerned about our kids' hearts becoming weedy soil, choked out by the American Dream, than we are of them rubbing shoulders with people who look and think a little bit different than we do. We want to make earth a bit more like heaven, where all tribes and tongues and nations worship Jesus together. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. That's what we want to do and we think it will be easier there than in our suburban life here that feels "safe."
"Too often we pretend that we can heal in the same environment that made us sick. Much of suburban life has been around cultural values that have very little to do with the gospel--folks have conformed to a cultural pattern of moving away from difficult neighborhoods, away from folks who don't look like them, away from areas of economic plight...and these patterns are the antithesis of the Incarnation, which is precisely about a God who moves into the neighborhood, a Savior who moves closer to suffering."
--Shane Claiborne Follow Me to Freedom: Leading and Following as an Ordinary Radical
