High school teachers across the nation are called to care for their students mentally, emotionally, and academically, but here at Concordia Lutheran High School (CLHS), teachers have an even greater calling that supersedes the other three: Caring for students spiritually.
Throughout the nation and the wider world, it is restricted, illegal, and oftentimes dangerous to speak the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Living in a Christian bubble in Midwest America can numb us to the realities that our brothers and sisters in the faith are experiencing throughout the world. That is why students in my classes this year are taking a journey to broaden their perspective past the here and now in Fort Wayne to see how Christ is working through the pain, suffering, and persecution of Christians in other countries around the world.
At the beginning of each class period, I take 5 minutes to start our time together with a daily devotional. In years past, we’ve gone through books such as "The Pilgrim’s Progress" by John Bunyan, "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, and "A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23" by W. Phillip Keller. This year we are traveling through "Hearts of Fire: Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costly Faith" by the Voice of the Martyrs.
“From the young Vietnamese girl who turns down freedom in order to evangelize the people of her Communist homeland, to the Australian missionary who spreads the message of forgiveness and healing across India after her husband and sons are burned alive by village zealots, these women have overcome extreme adversity to emerge as leaders and ministers in the global body of Christ. … These role models of faith and passion will inspire you to pursue Christ with heart aflame.”
The privilege we have here at Concordia to daily devote time to spiritually nourish our students without fear of harm or danger would be something foreign to these women. It is my prayer that the Lord would work through these women’s stories to strengthen the faiths of the students here at CLHS and embolden them to live their lives unashamedly for the Gospel here at school and out in the world today.
Brian Loesel,
Science Teacher