Josh and Gregg Harris on Education

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the things Josh Harris is saying these days about education options.   Josh has a post with video on Gospel Unity Among Educational Camps and today he posted a comment from his dad, Gregg, on the subject.  Here's the comment from Gregg Harris:

Hey Josh, this is your dad. Just for the record, I heartily agree with what you have said so well in this video clip. Educational choices have always been a matter of parental responsibility, not of some extra-biblical standard. Every householder should make an informed decision before God. All should research their local schools, public and private and become fully convinced in the way in which he (or she) decides to use his God-given liberty under the Lordship of Christ to bear the best and most abundant fruit he can for the glory of God.

The only moral issue at stake is whether we are willing to walk in the obedience of our faith in God and His will as we understand it from the Scriptures. Though wisdom and foolishness are called into play, there is no moral superiority to be found in any one educational option. Though dilligence is required of all three options, only our labor in Christ will not be in vain. Then, as the relative fruit of each option is put on display in time, may we all be humble enough to change our ways as needed in order to bear even better fruit for God.

Not all options seem to be equally fruitful thus far. But as a long-time home-schooling father and Christian home-schooling advocate I can honestly say that every option, including home schooling has its problems (as you well know). So, pick your problems, and by the grace of God deal with those problems as they arise. Our family has chosen the problems that come with home schooling. But, as you have said, we pray for all of our fellow parents and their children that God will mercifully bless their efforts to be faithful. We are all one in the body of Christ and that should allow us to support one another wholeheartedly in spite of our differing convictions on how to educate our children. Good job, Josh. I am so pleased with you and your service as a father, a pastor and just as my son. I love you. - Dad

Those who are familiar with the history of the homeschooling movement in the U.S. may remember that Gregg Harris was one of the early and most influential movers and shakers in the movement.  When I was in college, 25 years ago (wow, time flies) I was listening to Gregg Harris tapes and going to hear him speak.  I was in a community that was deeply committed to homeschooling so even in college I was preparing to homeschool.  And Gregg was the man.

As time went on, I gravitated toward a "home-school-is-the-only-educational-option-for-a-real-Christian" crowd and I became quite the, . . . um, . . . well, . . . unpleasant and unlikeable person about it.  Over the years I softened.  We homeschooled and found out there were huge challenges and difficulties with it.  Also, working in youth ministry I got to see that some of the most mature and spiritually healthy kids came out of a public schooling environment and some very dysfunctional kids came from homeschool environments.  At the same time I saw the reverse - some very mature and socially well adjusted homeschool kids, which countered the conventional wisdom that homeschool kids are socially inept.  I also saw plenty of public school kids who fell into all of the things the homeschoolers feared.

Overall, I began to see that there was far more to this whole thing than what school you sent your kids to.  My old pastor and mentor, Rod Whited, had a stump speech about education that he gave to everyone that went like this:

God has given parents the responsibility of educating their children.  Some will choose to fulfill this through homeschooling, some through public schooling, and some through private or private Christian schooling.  We will support these parents in whatever they choose.

This is what Gregg and Josh are saying here and I do so appreciate their stance for gospel unity in these matters.