OWL Scripture Reflection September 2024: Worth the Effort

By Rev. Amy Johnson
UCC Minster for Sexuality Education & Justice

⁶Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.
~Proverbs 22:6

While there are many perspectives on the “right way” to bring up our children, most of us-especially those of us who identify as Christian–agree we want our children to be able to live in a world where they are valued as part of God’s beautiful creation, where they have safe places to live and go to school, where they have enough healthy food to nourish their bodies, enough beauty and grace to nourish their souls, and enough challenge to strengthen their minds and hearts.

Our Whole Lives ministries take these things seriously. We strive diligently to create resources that support adults in creating spaces for children and youth to explore their humanity and divine beauty, to understand their bodies and relationships, to respect themselves and one another, and to model all these things in the world outside of an Our Whole Lives program.

In Our Whole Lives, we value curiosity, and trust; science and faith; bodies and spirits. We tend to each strand in a fabric of humanity that is woven together throughout lifetimes, and is stronger together than any one of its threads. We wonder together, learn together, hold each other in community—together.

Our Whole Lives is an investment of time and energy, of talent and patience, of meetings and consent and spirit and covenant. Yes, it takes effort. And yes, it is worth that effort, for as scripture says, ⁶Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray. ~Proverbs 22:6