“‘Why is a raven like a writing-desk?’

‘Come, we shall have some fun now!’ thought Alice. ‘I’m glad they’ve begun asking riddles. – I believe I can guess that,’ she added aloud.

…

Alice thought over all she could remember about ravens and writing-desks, which wasn’t much.”

– Excerpts taken from chapter 7 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Such riddles as the one that The Mad Hatter posed to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s classic book may keep the mind reeling for days. ‘What on earth do ravens and writing-desks have in common?’, Carroll’s readers have wondered for decades. Today, I present my readers with a riddle of my own: What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity Have in Common? Here we have three seemingly unrelated topics, yet I propose that they have more in common than we might think.

You may be sick and tired of hearing about it: COVID 19. The globally infamous, hot-button, oft-debated topic of 2020. No matter what opinions you hold, no matter if you think Coronavirus is underrated or overrated, no matter if you are in your home or gallivanting around town, I guarantee COVID 19 has touched your life in some way, shape, or form. Even if you have escaped the virus, you have not escaped the effects of it. Therefore, I believe it is important to continue to glean whatever spiritual truths we can from this pandemic to further grow ourselves and our faith. Join me as I delve into 5 ways that Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity are alike.

Commonality #1: With all three, you must…

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In Kindergarten, you must wash your hands. It’s very likely that in early elementary, your teacher stressed to you and your classmates the importance of being hygienic – which probably included a whole lot of hand washing. Maybe you sang “wash, wash, wash your hands” to the tune of “row, row, row your boat” as you and your pals scrubbed and sent the germs down the drain. As any teacher knows, a classroom full of children is ideal for spreading sickness like wildfire, and a good teacher will attempt to keep outbreaks to a minimum with good health practices.

During Coronavirus, you must wash your hands. You may find your memory once again being drawn back to those early childhood days of learning proper hand washing. We see it continually on the internet, hear it on the radio, and read it on business signage: “please wash your hands!” It may seem like common sense to keep one’s hands clean, but sadly not everyone is on the same page when it comes to hygiene. (If I had a dollar for every time I saw someone leave a public restroom after skipping the water and soap, I’d be rich. Eww. But, I digress…)

With Christianity, you must wash your hands. Psalm 24:3-4b says, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands…” This may bring our mind back to the priests of the Old Testament who could only enter the tabernacle after washing (Exodus 30:20). As New Testament Christians, we are now part of God’s holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5) and symbolically, we are to be “washed” in baptism before entering the Lord’s presence. (Acts 22:16)

Washing your hands isn’t only important in Kindergarten and during Coronavirus, but it is essential with Christianity!

What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity have in common? Commonality #2: With all three, you must…

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In Kindergarten, you must follow your leader. You probably spent many a recess playing “Follow the Leader”: a simple game where one individual leads a line of people who mimic his every action. More importantly, though, you probably spent many a class period learning to “follow the leader”…that is, your teacher. School is not solely about education, but can also be a fruitful training ground to learn virtues such as obedience, adherence to rules, and an eagerness to please one’s superior.

During Coronavirus, you must follow your leader. From quarantine, to social distancing, to increased cleaning measures, there are many new guidelines coming at us daily from our White House. COVID 19 has forced many of us to reveal whether we will be rebellious or righteous in response to the guidelines of our governing authorities. Will we cheerfully submit to those who have the rule over us (the President, our governors, etc.)? Or will we do things our own way if we deem their mandates unreasonable?

With Christianity, you must follow your leader. This leader may differ from person to person, depending on gender, marital state, citizenship, etc. For example, if you are a married woman, your husband is your head…whereas if you are a single or married man, your head is Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). A child within the home is under the authority of his or her parents (Ephesians 6:1), and a citizen of a nation is subject to the authorities of their land (1 Peter 2:13-14). Furthermore, Jesus our Lord says, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Mark 8:34, emphasis mine)

Following your leader isn’t only important in Kindergarten and during Coronavirus, but it is essential with Christianity!

What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity have in common? Commonality #3: With all three, you must…

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In Kindergarten, you must cover your mouth. You probably heard it a time or two (hundred) from your teacher. An uncovered cough or sneeze can spread sickness and wreak havoc in a room full of youngsters. Your teachers probably encouraged you to keep those germs at bay by coughing/sneezing into your elbow or, at the least, a hand that would quickly be washed!

During Coronavirus, you must cover your mouth. It has been suggested (but not mandated) by health officials to wear a mask while in public to keep the germs of coughs and sneezes from projecting onto those around us (yuck!). If not wearing a mask, it is at least important to make sure that the germs are contained by completely covering your mouth. This seems like another “no-brainer”, but again, there are many who do not care to practice good hygiene, thus making the reminders necessary.

With Christianity, you must cover your mouth. Proverbs 30:32 admonishes, “If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.” We must constantly evaluate if what is coming out of our mouths is Christlike, and if the answer is “no”, we must amend our speech. Are lies coming out (Proverbs 12:22)? I need to cover my mouth. Gossip (1 Timothy 5:13)? I need to cover it. Filthiness (Ephesians 5:4)? You guessed, it…my mouth needs covering. If bad things are flying out of my mouth, it’s a sign that I am “sick” and thus highly contagious to those around me.

Covering your mouth isn’t only important in Kindergarten and during Coronavirus, but it is essential with Christianity!

What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity have in common? Commonality #4: With all three, you must keep…

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In Kindergarten, you must keep hands to yourself. (This is of course only required in certain situations.) There was always that one kid in school that was hitting, pinching, and punching; or taking things like crayons and toys from his classmates. The teacher probably reprimanded him, “keep your hands to yourself!” – because the bully was using his hands for harming and not for helping.

During Coronavirus, you must keep hands to yourself. Social distancing continues to be an important measure used to slow the spread of COVID 19. The White House guidelines indicate keeping six feet apart from those who are not of one’s household. Physical contact with those outside the family has been temporarily put on hold to minimize sickness and protect the vulnerable of our nation. Because our hands have the potential to bring harm, they must be kept to ourselves.

With Christianity, you must keep hands to yourself. 1 Timothy 5:22 warns, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.” In other words, don’t be too quick to jump to judgmental conclusions about others…you end up bringing judgment upon yourself. Are we to take concerned action when we see a brother falling into sin? You bet…but not to the extent that we make ourselves judge over his life, critiquing his every motive and assuming the worst of him. Rather, we ought to judge righteous judgment that is not based on appearance (John 7:24), acting in a spirit of meekness when correction is necessary (Galatians 6:1), and leaving the rest up to God who is the ultimate judge of mankind (Romans 14:4).

Keeping hands to yourself isn’t only important in Kindergarten and during Coronavirus, but it is essential with Christianity!

What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity have in common? Commonality #5: With all three, you must…

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In Kindergarten, you must stay with your group. Many children have curious tendencies that can get them into trouble…like wandering and getting separated from the rest of the field trip group and nearly giving the teacher a heart attack! This is why head counts are commonplace on group excursions, along with the dreaded “matching tee shirts”. It’s easy for a child to wander off and get lost in a crowd, so teachers must constantly remind their students to stick together.

During Coronavirus, you must stay with your group. In the early stages of quarantine, it was advised not to socialize with those outside of your immediate family to cut down on virus exposure. We were all urged to stay close to home and only go out for essentials such as groceries. Many were laid off work, and spending quality time at home with their families was a silver lining to the otherwise dark cloud hovering over America.

With Christianity, you must stay with your group. In our throw-away culture, it is becoming easier and easier for people to walk out on their church family without even a backwards glance. Hebrews 10:24-25 condemns this behavior: “…let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Nobody has the perfect family, and nobody has the perfect church family. We all have idiosyncrasies that can get under each other’s skin…and unfortunately, sometimes blatant sin in our midst. Nonetheless, this should never cause us to abandon Christ’s church for which He died. Rather, we ought to practice patience; teaching one another (2 Timothy 2:24-26), bearing one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), and being tenderhearted and forgiving to each other (Ephesians 4:32). We can trust God to separate the wheat from the chaff in the end.

Staying with your group isn’t only important in Kindergarten and during Coronavirus, but it is essential with Christianity!

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In conclusion…

What do Kindergarten, Coronavirus, and Christianity have in common? A whole lot! With all three, I must wash my hands, follow my leader, cover my mouth, keep hands to myself, and stay with my group. There is, however, a very notable difference between the three: while Kindergarten and Coronavirus are only temporary, our Christianity is eternal. Kindergarten and Coronavirus are here and then gone from our lives in the blink of an eye, but we are forever left with the spiritual lessons they pointed us to.

Oh, and about that riddle…

“”Have you guessed the riddle yet?” the Hatter said, turning to Alice again. 
“No, I give it up,” Alice replied, “What’s the answer?”
“I haven’t the slightest idea,” said the Hatter.
“Nor I,” said the March Hare.
Alice sighed wearily. “I think you might do something better with the time,” she said, “than wasting it in asking riddles that have no answers.””

– Excerpt taken from chapter 7 of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

May you find yourself faring better than Alice today, my friends.

For God’s glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

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Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.

“There was once a Countryman who possessed the most wonderful Goose you can imagine, for every day when he visited the nest, the Goose had laid a beautiful, glittering, golden egg.

The Countryman took the eggs to market and soon began to get rich. But it was not long before he grew impatient with the Goose because she gave him only a single golden egg a day. He was not getting rich fast enough.

Then one day, after he had finished counting his money, the idea came to him that he could get all the golden eggs at once by killing the Goose and cutting it open. But when the deed was done, not a single golden egg did he find, and his precious Goose was dead.”

Moral: Those who have plenty want more and so lose all they have.

– “The Goose and the Golden Egg”,  a fable of Aesop

I am doubtful if this is the first time you have heard this fable, but its message is so significant and timeless that it bears repeating. Greed is a thief that preys primarily on its very host. Greed promises to give, but only takes in the end. Greed is an ancient deceiver.

1 Timothy 6:10 is often misquoted to say that “money is the root of all evil”. Here is the actual passage, in full:

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Note that it is not money itself that is the root of all evil, but rather the love of money…A.K.A. greed. Now, what does it mean that the love of money is “the root of all evil”, anyway? Does it mean that if a man lusts after a woman, it stems from his love of racking up credit cards? Or that if a woman displays catty behavior towards someone, that it all goes back to her admiration for wads of cash? Of course the answer to both of these questions is no. The point the passage is conveying is not that “every kind of sin grows from greed”, but rather that “greed grows into every kind of sin”. The love of money has sent many a man to kill his companion, and sent many a woman into the arms of strange men. Money gained is often innocence lost, for greed always takes more than it gives.

As the scripture cited above warns, greed “pierces through with many sorrows”. Today we will discover just exactly what those sorrows are, and decide for ourselves whether or not they will be given any place in our lives. Sorrow #1 is that…

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…Thou hast greedily gained of your neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God.
– Ezekiel 22:12

This truth is proved again and again in scripture: an over-attention toward wealth leads to an under-attention toward the Lord. As Jesus boldly stated in Luke 16:13, one can not be a servant of both God and money. We have to choose which we will be allegiant to.

Before we go any further, I want it to be clear that wealth is not a bad thing in and of itself. As was previously mentioned, it is not money (but rather the love thereof) that motivates one to sin. The Bible urges us to take heed that we do not trust in riches (Mark 10:23-25). Why? Riches come and go, but God remains. Our trust is safe and solid in the Lord, but unsure and temporal with money.

Now, in this world, it is nigh to impossible to function without currency. We need it for our basic needs such as food, water, and shelter; as well as for many wants and luxuries. In short, we all need money to get by. It is allowed and even expected by God that we will put our hand to the plow and make a living for ourselves in some way. But making a living and delving into greed are two very different things. Making a living is defined as “earning enough income to support oneself and, if applicable, one’s family.” Greed on the other hand, is defined as “an intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.”. The difference lies in the attitude and focus of the heart.

When one is filled with intense and selfish desire, it is impossible to be filled with God at the same time. God is love, and love “seeketh not her own” (see 1 Corinthians 13:5). God can not abide in a heart of greed and selfishness. When we are greedy, money (or other material items) become our obsession and focus. We no longer seek after God, because our desire is in another direction.

Practically speaking, how can I keep greed out of my faith? By constantly and honestly checking my focus. Is my focus on God, or greed? The Master, or the money? Am I more interested in my eBay or my eBible? Making a buck, or making a breakthrough? Cash or Christ? This is what it boils down to: who do I love and serve? If I’m more concerned about my pocketbook than my piety, I’ve got one pricey problem.

Greed denies your Father. This is the gravity of greed. Sorrow #2 is that…

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He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live. – Proverbs 15:27

I am reminded of a short story I have read about a father and his son. One day, a son asked his father how much money was paid hourly at the father’s job. At first the father told the son it was none of his business, but after a bit of persuasion he relented. “$100”, came the reply. Immediately upon hearing this, the son asked his father if he might borrow $50. The father became furious…after all, the son had only been asking about the wages out of selfish motives! The father ordered the little boy to go to his room and think about his rude behavior. After a while, the man calmed down. He realized that his boy had never really asked for money before, so perhaps there was something very important he wanted to purchase. He knocked on his son’s door and apologized for being so harsh previously. He explained that he had a change of mind and decided that he would in fact lend the $50 that was requested. The boy was elated…he immediately reached under his pillow, pulled out some crumpled up bills, and began counting his stash. Upon seeing this, the father began to get angry again: “Why do you want more money if you already have some?!”. The son replied, “because I didn’t have enough, but now I do. Daddy, I have $100 now…can I buy an hour of your time?”

This touching story ought to hit close to home for those who have a hard time balancing family and money. It should be a blessing to provide financially for one’s own. 1 Timothy 5:8 says that “if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel“! Money can in many ways build up a family, but it can also tear one apart at the seams. Provision is one thing…neglect is another; we must (again) be careful to check our focus and motives.

Being “greedy of gain“, as Proverbs 15:27 puts it, is what will ultimately “trouble our house“. It’s not the making of money that wounds the family unit, but the “more, more, more” mentality. While we may gain monetarily, we end up losing what’s really important. Just as we formerly discussed how one can not serve both God and money, one also can not be devoted to both their family and the “almighty dollar”. One will always take precedence, while the other takes a backseat. Who will win out in your life…the spouse and kids, or a stack of “Benjamins”? Heed the wisdom of Proverbs 23:4a: “labour not to be rich.”

Practically speaking, how can I keep greed out of my family? Time to check that focus again! Am I happier to be clocking out, or clocking in? Do I prefer family time, or overtime? Date night, or casual Friday? My marriage, or my moolah? My children or my chump change? If I’m more concerned about my pocketbook than my people, I’ve got one pricey problem.

Greed destroys your family. This is the gravity of greed. Sorrow #3 is that…

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And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. – Proverbs 1:18-19

This verse is certainly haunting. When one is greedy to another man’s hurt, they only end up bringing destruction upon their own head. I could reiterate this point a thousand times: greed promises to be a giver, but greed is a taker. For every ounce we gain through greed, we lose a ton elsewhere. We have seen that we can throw away our relationship with our Father and with our family through an unhealthy love of money…and finally, we can throw away our future as well.

Proverbs 13:7 warns that “there is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing“, while on the flip side, “there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.” Which team do you want to be a part of in the end – team nothing, or team riches? Most would cry, “team riches!”, until they notice the word poor is involved. This is a common enigma in scripture…oftentimes it is a poor person who is the richest of all. It may be that on this earth the poorest Christian is “…as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2 Corinthians 6:10b)

Can you call to mind the parable of the rich man in Luke 12, who stored up his goods and died the same night? The sober conclusion of the story is clear: “So is he that layeth up treasure to himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:21)  Unless we want to meet a similar fate (though our death may be spiritual rather than physical – much worse), we must let go of our greed.

Practically speaking, how can I keep greed out of my future? Here comes that focus again…I’ve gotta check myself before I wreck myself. Is my goal stocking up gold, or the streets of gold? Walking down the straight and narrow, or the red carpet? If I’m more concerned about my pocketbook than my paradise, I’ve got one pricey problem.

Greed decides your future. This is the gravity of greed.

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In conclusion…

Remember the man who killed his golden goose? Because of his greed for more, more, more, he lost what good he already had. Such is the fate of all who are lovers of money; of those who do not regard the gravity of greed.

Greed denies your Father, destroys your family, and decides your future. While promising the world, greed will steal you blind. Let us be content with what God has given us, keeping money and material things of this life in their proper perspective. Our true treasure is elsewhere, after all…

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… – Matthew 6:19-20a

For God’s Glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

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Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.

Do you fear the force of the wind,
The slash of the rain?
Go face them and fight them,
Be savage again.
Go hungry and cold like the wolf,
Go wade like the crane:
The palms of your hand will thicken,
The skin of your cheek will tan,
You’ll grow ragged and weary and swarthy,
But you’ll walk like a man!

– “Do you Fear the Wind?” by Hamlin Garland

We’ve all heard the old adage: “April showers bring May flowers!”. While it’s easy to shrug these words off as little more than a rhyme cited by ultra cheerful optimists, the adage is a truthful one that we all should cling to in difficult seasons. “April” is a time we all go through at one time or another. Our April may be short or long; we may go through it once, or we may go through it multiple times…whatever the case may be, April will come. None of us can fully escape dark and dreary times in our life, symbolized by the rainy month before the flowers bloom. To get to May, we must conquer April…there is no way around, only through.

April isn’t all bad, you know. The rainy days may bring gloom, but they also bring a promise – May flowers are coming. So it is with dismal times in our lives. As Christians, we can be assured that the difficult seasons on this earth will last only for a little while; soon to be replaced by better days. In the meantime, how can we “weather” our way through our Aprils? Is there really a way from trial to triumph? What can we learn from an April shower?

Today, we will ponder three significant actions that April showers perform in our lives. Act One…

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April is the cruelest month, breeding lilacs out of the dead land, mixing memory and desire, stirring dull roots with Spring rain. – T.S. Eliot

An April shower arrives on the scene as a dark, sinister figure lurking in the shadows…

An April shower is the knock on the door: “there’s been an accident”.
It’s the breakup call: “we need to talk”.
It’s the test results: “the cancer has recurred”.
It’s the tear-stained letter: “missing in action”.

April showers are the fruition of our worst fears:

Saying goodbye all too soon. Being lonely. Having your name slung through the mud. Being falsely accused. Never measuring up, no matter how hard you try. Being rejected. Feeling like no one truly cares about you. Being misunderstood.

Like a Spring rain, the pain in our life comes looming over us as a furious storm cloud and then pelts down on us suddenly and drenches us completely. We feel like David, who cried out in anguish:

…Oh that I had wings like a dove! For then I would fly away, and be at rest…I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest. – Psalm 55:6,8

When our trials feel like more than we can bear, abandoning ship can look rather inviting. Yet David pushed through his April…he didn’t stop trusting in the Lord or give up on his God-given purpose. Neither should we, or we will never see Act Two…

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April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden. – Marty Rubin

An April shower takes up residence, rolls up its sleeves, and crafts something beneath the surface…

In one sense, April is the cruelest month, but it can also be the kindest. How so? April (which symbolizes difficult times in our lives) performs a mighty work in us that no other time can do so well. It begins to groom us for May…molding something underneath the surface to be revealed in due time; just as an April shower grooms the parched ground with rain.

Every pain in life has the potential to set us backward or to set us forward. We get to choose whether the rain will drown us out and diminish us to nothing, or grow new life in the soil of our hearts.

The hardest time to see the results of Spring rain is during the tedious grooming process. We look out the window for days on end and see nothing but dark and dreary skies. We glumly muse, “Will it ever stop raining? Why must every day be drop after drop of rain?” So it is with our trials…we may ask, “Will I ever stop hurting? Why must every day be drop after drop of pain?” We ask both questions because we don’t see the work being done “underground”, as it were. We don’t see beyond the surface:

…I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. – Amos 4:7b

Without rain, a piece of land and a person are both bound to wither away. As hard as it is to accept, the greatest growth occurs through rain and pain – but only if we let it be so. It’s the only way to make room for Act Three…

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April is a promise that May is bound to keep. – Hal Borland

An April shower clears away in time, and leaves in its wake a beautiful new creation…

An April shower looms, and an April shower grooms, but thanks be to God, an April shower blooms! April showers do bring about May flowers, but only after weeks of driving rain and stormy blasts. Will we, as Christians, likewise bloom under great pressure and adversity? If pain is allowed to have its perfect work in us, it can transform us into something grand.

Pain is one of life’s greatest teachers. It can build in a person knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. It can give us compassion and grace for others. It can make us soft where we were once hard of heart. It can give us the right words of comfort to someone going through a similar trial. It can spur us and inspire us to help our fellow man. It can bring us closer to the Lord. It can affect generations.

Maybe you are experiencing an April shower in your life right now. Take heart, my friend…this season will not last forever. Press on with all that is in you; May is coming:

My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo…the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth… – excerpt from Song of Solomon 2:10-12

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In conclusion…

Is there a way from trial to triumph? The answer is: absolutely. If we can hold on tight through April’s looming and grooming, we will soon see the glorious day of our blooming. You and I were made to be Mayflowers. It may be that God is using us to bring safe passage to other weary pilgrims on this earth weathering their own storms…if you catch my drift.

Today’s tears grow tomorrow’s flowers. In due time we will see…

Sweet April’s tears, Dead on the hem of May. – Alexander Smith

For God’s Glory,
Mrs. Dustin Bolks

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Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.