I was a garbage student. I spent class time reading other books and messing around with my fellow classmates. I did enough homework to generally pass–most of the time–but no more than that. I read all the books for my English classes, but just because I liked to read, not because of the classes themselves. And at least in English, I could pass without trying too hard. I have to think that my teachers just lived in constant disappointment with me. I had no grit to do things that I didn't want to do–I needed the Lord to renew my mind and heart.
Although my schoolwork was lacking, I had a great job at a pizza place–Mio's pizza, the best pizza in Cincinnati with a creamy garlic dressing that I am still trying to recreate to this day. I was 17 and I was the assistant manager. I had some money in my pockets and a girlfriend–what more could anyone want? Well, one day after having to lecture a 40-year-old man about coming to work on time because he was our only delivery driver, I went home and realized that this was not the career I had in mind. I wanted to go to college and grow my mind.
“I had no grit, no determination to push through and do hard things that I didn’t want to do when in high school. But the Lord started to renew my mind–not exactly my bank account–but my attitude and my desires.”
How I decided to become a teacher is another story for another day, and I am not saying that college is the only option–do you know that we are not simply training our students to be college professors? When I have them write essays, it's not merely so that they might be good college writers–that might be a good side benefit. When I have them write essays, or when Mrs. Koempel gives them an equation, or when Mrs. Baker creates an epic lab, or when elementary teachers assign Math facts and memorize grammar chants, we're giving them tools for life. Tools for organizing their minds, for structuring their thoughts, for defending themselves well. Not merely to become college students and then college professors–whatever our students do after graduation, we want them prepared in their minds as much as in their characters.
Unfortunately, once I discovered that I did want to go to college, I was faced with my horrible GPA and terrible grades. And when I finished college in 2008, I had $97,000 in student loans—direct results of my terrible choices. I had no grit, no determination to push through and do hard things that I didn't want to do when in high school. But the Lord started to renew my mind–not exactly my bank account–but my attitude and my desires.
So, today, let's delve into the powerful words of Revelation 21:5, where our Lord declares, "Behold, I am making all things new." This is the theme for Secondary Chapel this year. These words are a promise of hope, renewal, and transformation that we all need to hear, and we're promised that these words are trustworthy.
First, who is giving this promise to us? What, from this verse, do we know about him? He, Jesus Christ, is seated on the throne. What does that tell us? He is Lord. He is in control. Not us, not me, not you, not your parents, not your teachers, not Mr. Picciottoli. The Lord is in control–in Him and through Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). This verse encapsulates God's promise to bring about a profound renewal in every aspect of creation. In a world marked by decay, suffering, and brokenness, this promise offers incredible hope. This means that not only our souls but also the very earth we inhabit will be transformed.
God's promise begins with the transformation of our hearts. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we experience spiritual rebirth and renewal (2 Corinthians 5:17). God replaces our hearts of stone with hearts of flesh, enabling us to love Him and others more deeply. In God's new creation, there will be no division, hatred, or strife. Instead, we will experience perfect unity and love (Revelation 21:3). So why wait for that to happen? Does that mean that we should all just continue in the conflicts we're all stuck in? This renewal extends to our relationships with one another. He calls us to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). We are a new creation in Him–so let’s do that.
While God's promise of renewal is sure, we are not passive observers but active participants in this process. He calls us to be agents of change and ambassadors of God's love in the world (2 Cor 5:20). Furthermore, we must allow God to continually renew our hearts and minds through prayer, reading His Word, and seeking His guidance. As we are transformed, we can be instruments of change in our communities–that includes at The River Academy.
We can all tend to see ourselves as passive creatures in His Creation, just waiting for God to act without having to do anything else. But think through Scripture: Ruth was a homeless Moabite widow who acted in Faith–look what God did in her life: she became the grandmother of King David. God wants to make even the smallest things in your life new; in your daily routines and habits and sins, pray for God to work in your life and to redeem those things. He does care and does good for those who have faith in and love him.
In Revelation 21:5, we find a message of hope, renewal, and transformation that transcends time and circumstance. God invites us to be a part of this grand renewal project, starting with our hearts, extending to our relationships with one another and with Him. Let us be a people who eagerly anticipate the day when God fulfills His promise to make all things new, and may we be active, prayerful participants in this glorious work of transformation. And that is why, through each and every Secondary Chapel this year, we're learning how God makes all things new.
-Tyler Howat, Dean of Academics
