Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:13-14
The first day is the most important day of the school year. It’s a new day, a new grade, a new teacher, and a new class. It’s a promise to students that they will have the chance for a fresh start, to make a new first impression, and to adopt a new pattern of behavior.
The first day’s magic resides in the fact that it is a real moment in time. When a child wakes up, he knows that this is a new day…This is a day when everyone agrees to forget what is behind so that we can strain toward what is ahead—a sentiment that echoes the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 3.
But the first day is also magical because of what we decide to make of it. To understand school, think of Disney and the Magic Kingdom. While I have never been to Disney World, I have driven through the Disney parking lot. Earlier that day, as we left Universal Studios, I handed a tired miserable parking attendant my last dollar. As she snarled, put down her cigarette, and opened the gate, I remembered the promise that Disney was different. So, we decided to drive to Disney at 10:00 P.M. When we arrived, we were greeted by a young smiling girl who seemed excited to see us. When I said I just wanted to drive through the parking lot, she did not seem surprised. She just smiled and waved us through. She even pointed out some particularly interesting spots in the parking lot!
At school, we have a remarkable opportunity to do more than merely teach subjects. We prepare children for life by calling them to understand that each day is a new day in Christ. The first day of school is an ideal opportunity to teach and model this in several ways:
- Embrace the fresh start: At a gospel-centered school, you will be greeted as a new creation in Christ with Christ in you. Choose to do the next right thing. Work the problem that is in front of you. Something extraordinary will emerge.
- Be the New Creation: Every child who enters our doors was made by God in His image. Someone anticipated your arrival. They prepared a place for you. They created the expectation that something extraordinary is about to happen.
- Adopt a new pattern of behavior: School is a rhythm. The community follows the same rhythm. When it’s time to work, we work. When it’s time to play, we play. Joining the community is about adopting the rhythm.
Why look back at the first day of school when we are already six weeks in? The first day was a moment that points us to the reality of new beginnings, but the truth is that every day is a new day in Christ. Every day is a fresh opportunity to “forget what lies behind,” to “strain forward to what lies ahead,” and to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:13-14).
