by Shauna Shehane
To the Christian the word “Babylon” evokes an image of an idolatrous nation who in their arrogance thought that they could pave their own way to heaven. Babylon was a city created by men who allowed their passions to shape them into lovers of darkness. To an irreligious person, however, Babylon brings to mind a great city of power. Yet In the book of Romans, Paul writes that since the very foundation of the world God has made himself and his attributes clear so that all may see and be held to account. He explains, “because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man.” (Romans 1:21-24)
In sharp contrast to the ancient city of Babylon, when we consider the vineyard of Yahweh it should bring to mind a great shining kingdom of light and virtue. But, we live in a culture that is a modern Babylon who does what is right in its own eyes. We, God’s people, residing in his vineyard, are at war with a nation that has exchanged the truth for lies, and worships and serves self rather than our Creator.
Before attending Mars Hill Academy my attitude towards Christian orthodoxy could, at best, be considered scornful. My arrogance coupled with the environment in which I was immersed, afforded an acid that eroded my view. As a young child, I was curious and analytical. Homeschooled, I learned about God, classical history, and philosophy at the feet of my father. I always asked questions. Upon reaching middle school, I attended two different public schools and was immediately propelled into an irreligious culture that did not encourage questions, virtue, a healthy parental relationship, or truth. The world constantly preached that I was of a higher intelligence than my parents. I was one of the enlightened, and they were not. Parental figures were people who simply ought to be cut out if they could not “see” as the world could.
A biblical worldview, they articulated, was something to be held in contempt. Questions were snubbed by teachers and earned scornful reproach. Traditional virtue was a thing to be looked down upon, as people who were truly free need not be confined by it.
The world commits the fallacy of chronological snobbery for we think we know better than our forefathers. We hold the fathers of tradition as bigots who held the idea of a crude god who called the world into being, placed arbitrary rules, and without intervening allowed evil into it. In my early teen years I embraced the ideals of communism, postmodernism, as well as woke ideals. I was surrounded by them, and they seemed to me to be interesting concepts with the correct answers. Of course, they also appealed to my vanity because to believe in them one must be “awake” and see what others supposedly are unable to see. I had been transported to Babylon and mistook it for heaven. I stopped thinking carefully as my father had taught me to, as it was not fashionable in this strange new world. Eventually, my parents, noticing this change in attitude and personality, made the sacrifice to enroll me in Mars Hill for high school. God was not done with me yet. By His grace I slowly began to seek truth. During my freshman year and found Christ to be my Savior.
I wish to present to you today the differences in the two educational foundations that I have experienced: Education in the great city of Babylon, and education at Mars Hill Academy, a plot of Yahweh's vineyards.
The US Department of Education has a mission statement that reads as follows: “ED's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.” In contrast, the Mars Hill vision statement articulates that the goal is “To cultivate wise and virtuous men and women who glorify and enjoy God, faithfully applying the Lordship of Christ throughout all of life.” These statements have different goals, but a common overarching aspiration which is to create “successful” men and women. The dichotomy is in the definition of success. Babylon defines success as things to be achieved through man's empty praise. God tells us success is found in him. We are to glorify him and use our gifts to further his Kingdom. Our school seeks to follow God’s metric for success rather than man’s.
Next, Aristotle writes, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all,” and he is correct. The Bible emphasizes repeatedly that the heart of man is evil and is not to be trusted. The world is no place for children to learn virtue. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7 Elohim commands his people, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Although this mandate was originally given to Israel, under the grafting of the gentiles this statute applies to all of God’s people. And, here, Mars Hill has the unique capacity to hire teachers who align with the values of Christ. When I first came here, I was struck by the stark differences in my instructors' attitudes towards me. I was held to a higher standard in both grades and character. My teachers demonstrated deep care for me. They encouraged my love of learning and reminded me of who I am and what my identity in Christ is. It is commonplace here for teachers to give up their lunch and time after school to mentor their students on issues as simple as math, or as complex as the problem of evil.
Third, Human beings are made up of all the words they have thought, spoken, encountered, and how they have chosen to interact with them. In order to become who God wants us to be, we must take care to surround ourselves with words of worth. This starts in a Biblical foundation. As workers in the vineyard, we should aspire to be wise and virtuous. During my time in Babylon, I was introduced to and consumed words that were not appropriate for the age I was. Wouldn't it be better for children to be educated surrounded by speech that is true, good, and beautiful? Babylon feeds its inhabitants vulgarity, profaneness, and lies. These words were harmful to me because they took my innocence and exposed me to harmful ideologies at a stage in life where I was unable to articulate the wrongfulness of them.
In addition, one thing that stood out to me when reviewing my time surrounded by secular ideas was how much I was told I needed to change in order to be successful. I once was kicked out of a diversity club for asking too many questions and sharing alternating opinions. Babylon crushes inquisitiveness. The unfortunate fact of the age is that most Americans are uncomfortable with questions and thinking. But Mars Hill Academy has written into the very foundations, “We aim to graduate young men and women who think clearly and listen carefully with discernment and understanding, who reason persuasively and speak precisely, who are capable of evaluating all human knowledge and experience in the light of the Scriptures.” This is the exact opposite of what society wishes. Our cultural educational system, which I have experienced firsthand, encourages children to merely accept the conclusions someone else has come to and to silence all questions or objections to them. If children spend their formative years being told not how to come to conclusions, but the conclusions to which they must arrive, upon entering the real world they will be of both weak ability, and unable to interact with any opposing view without crumbling to pieces. I ask you, do you really believe in something if you have not considered the objections? Can you call something an education if it seeks not to answer questions? If so, that is a most ill education indeed. Mars Hill aims to graduate men and women who can think and reason clearly. If we are in part made of the words we think, then the heart and mind must be trained to think “unmuddled.”
If you surround a child in an atmosphere where the untrained heart is the standard for virtue, and their minds are not taught to ask questions and to think, then society will suffer. A startling change from my past education is that here, questions and debates are encouraged. Even for the opposing side. This is because if you do not know the opposing side, you are not prepared to enter the world and hold your beliefs. If you eliminate debate, you eliminate truth. Truth is found through discourse. Our teachers do not shy away from the hard questions or debates. Only through these can you mold young men and women who are always as Peter says, “ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)
To conclude, Aristotle wrote that a good citizen's education should be in virtue, this has always been the case but is more applicable now than ever. C.S. Lewis once said that “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”
This is exactly what Mars Hill Academy seeks to avoid. Our school provides an excellent education but emphasizes the importance of character in God. The workers of Babylon whisper to children that they will be prosperous only in fulfilling their life through love of self. In contrast, our small plot of the vineyard emphasizes both the love of God, and the wages of sin. The rise and fall of Babylon throughout the millennia will continue until the return of our King, but an education rooted in truth and reason will endure forever. As Isaiah 40:8 proclaims, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever!”