Throughout my walk with Yeshua, He has used me as a Christian activist. I could not have done any of these things without much prayer, and knowing that He was with me.
When my kids were young, I did in−home day care to help with the finances. When I interviewed prospective parents, I told them up front that their child would hear about Jesus. I told them that I read Bible stories to the kids, and that we pray together. I asked if that would be a problem, and only one set of parents declined using my services because of this.
One day in late November of 1987, Jason, one of my daycare kids, told me that they practiced singing their songs for the Winter concert. Back when political correctness did not reign, these concerts were called “Christmas concerts.”
Jason wanted me to see the words of a song. He was troubled by them. The song was called, “The Twelve Days After Christmas.” Here are some of the lyrics:
“On the first day after Christmas, my true love and I had a fight
So I chopped the pear tree down, and burned it just for spite
Then with a single cartridge, I shot that blasted partridge,
My true love, my true love, my true love gave to me.
The second day after Christmas
I pulled on the old rubber gloves
And very gently wrung the necks
Of both the turtle doves
My true love, my true love,
My true love gave to me.”
The song went on and on in like manner, and was to be sung by third graders. I asked Jason if I could see the other songs they would sing. As I looked through the list, it became obvious to me that the Lord wanted to use me once again to effect change.
There were four Chanukah songs, and five secular holiday songs, like Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman, etc. There was not even ONE sacred Christmas song.
The next day, I called the Board of Education for our county. I asked to speak with the supervisor of music for the entire county. As I began to speak with this man, I realized that he was a bit on the edgy side, and was not happy with my call. Exactly what I expected.
I began to tell him about the inappropriate song for the age of the children, reading him some of the lyrics. I told him that perhaps high school students would get a laugh from a song like that, but that it was definitely NOT for young, impressionable children.
He told me that he would get a panel of educators together, and if I would come in, the panel would hear me out. I told him that was fair, and that I would come in any time this was scheduled.
But then I asked him about the other music. I told him about the Chanukah songs, and that there were only secular Christmas songs—not even one sacred song about the birth of Jesus. I told him that I loved Chanukah, and that I was a Jewish Christian.
There was a long pause on his end, but then he said “Well, that’s interesting.” I went on that since the children were singing about Chanukah (The Festival of Lights) and the miracle of the oil burning for eight days, when there was only enough oil for one, then there also should be sacred songs about Christmas (with the birth of Jesus in the lyrics).
Surprisingly, he agreed. He said that he always asked his music teachers to be fair about the music at this time of the year. He asked me to call the school and request a meeting with the music teacher. He then asked me to get back to him with the outcome.
I called my children’s school and got the music teacher on the phone. After asking for a meeting, the teacher told me that her time was limited because of the concert, and asked if we could speak by phone. I told her that I was concerned about the music program because not even one sacred Christmas song was part of it. I said that I noticed that Chanukah was well-represented in the list of songs.
I distinctly heard a sigh. Then the teacher explained to me why she did not put any sacred Christmas songs into the program. She said that in her first year of teaching in this school, she did choose three sacred Christmas songs. She said that the Jewish teachers blasted her so badly, and said that this was not allowed. She said the pressure from the other teachers was intolerable, so she just decided to cooperate with them.
I told her that I was a Jewish Christian, and that I felt that it was wrong to discriminate against the Christians, because of some Jewish teachers. She said she was very sorry, but that she could not endure another year like her first.
I called the Supervisor back to let him know how things went. He said he was not surprised, and he thanked me for doing my part.
He said, “Now I will visit this teacher, and I will tell her that both Chanukah and Christmas should be represented in the music.” He went on “And one or two secular Christmas songs are fine, but there should also be sacred Christmas songs about the birth of Jesus.”
He told me that if the Jewish teachers came against her, then she would be able to say that she had no choice; that the Supervisor of music for the county directed her to make this change.
I was so grateful to this man. I knew that the Lord had really placed this on my heart, and this was the outcome. Before we got off the phone, he told me that it wouldn’t be necessary for me to come in about the other song. He took the song to a few of his peers, and they immediately said that it was not age appropriate. That song was banned in all elementary schools in my county.
The Winter concert was a lovely mix of Chanukah songs and Frosty the Snowman type songs, but also “Silent Night,” “Let’s Run to the Stable” and “Away in a Manger” were sung!
Once again, the Lord showed me that just one person can make such a difference!
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” —Edmund Burke
“In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul” (Psalm 138:3).
MARANATHA!
Blessings in Yeshua.