It doesn’t impact you.

In August, a 10+ year partnership between the Hamilton County School Board and Centerstone, a nonprofit mental health provider that has offered in-school counseling services to students across the district, ended.

The partnership between HCSB and Centerstone was special in two ways:

  • Cost - Centerstone accepted TennCare, meaning the students who qualified for TennCare could receive counseling and mental healthcare services at no cost, to the county or to the student families.
  • Access - Because of this partnership, Centerstone had a presence inside our schools. For students who couldn’t find transportation to therapy outside of school, they could receive this free care on campus.

Michael Scott would call it a Win-Win-Win situation.

It was a public-private partnership that greatly benefited our students without impacting the school board’s budget - the kind of thing Republicans used to celebrate.

The timing of the decision to terminate this partnership was especially tragic, as it came two weeks after a Hamilton County student took their own life following the first day of school.

Despite the circumstances, the partnership was haphazardly severed by school board Republicans, leaving hundreds of students without continuity of care. And for many of those students, it left them without this type of care at all.

Objectively, Republicans on the school board chose to make life a little worse for a small number of students in their care. But it wasn’t just any students, it was the most underprivileged students in the county.

Obviously, I find this decision offensive for many reasons. But because of my public criticism of the school board’s decision, I have been asked one question several times. And that question is, by far, the most offensive aspect:

“Why do you care? This doesn’t impact you.”

It is true, this decision doesn’t impact me. It doesn’t impact my family or even my children’s school (because of its location in a nice neighborhood).

But I do care. And I should care. And if you are a Bible-believing Christian, you should too.

Why?

The book of Proverbs starkly contrasts the differences between the righteous and the wicked. Bruce Waltke’s commentary on Proverbs summarizes the contrast this way:

The righteous are willing to disadvantage themselves to advantage the community.

The wicked are willing to disadvantage the community to advantage themselves.

In this particular case, I’m not sure what advantage there is to ‘the wicked.’ But the disadvantage to the community is plainly obvious.

Although appropriate, a summary of Proverbs is admittedly a broad swing to defend my position.

Luckily, we also have a very specific teaching from Jesus to pull from in Matthew 25:

For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The older I get, the more convinced I am how few Americans have not yet heard about the love of Jesus Christ. But I am evermore convinced how few Americans have experienced the love of Jesus Christ.

And this feels like one of a million examples of how Christians could meet those outside of the church - those in need - with the love of Jesus. I’m not talking about a big wooden cross or pamphlets or a free lunch accompanied with a bullhorn sermon or a stop on the ‘Romans Road’ kind of love. Rather, just good ‘ol winter coat, full belly, warm smile, side-hug love - fulfilling the needs of basic human dignity.

So why did the school board pull the plug on this free-to-them student benefit? Many reasons have been obliquely floated. But the most obvious, and the only one with legs, is identity politics and culture wars.

Evangelicals live in perpetual fear of persecution that American Christians have never actually known. And especially (perhaps ironically) since MAGA politics have surged, many of those within the church have been told their way of life is under attack.

To many evangelicals, nothing is more worrisome than a therapist helping someone living outside of the ‘Christian way’ finding comfort and peace with their life.

Many Christians feel instead that those living outside of the Christian way should be made to feel uncomfortable. They should feel the weight of their sin. They should be condemned. They should be shamed(?) back to Jesus.

Inevitably, Christians are culturally judged for this posture. This usually leads to a victim mindset. They claim persecution for their faith. But, it is more so a misunderstanding of their faith. In reality, they are simply being persecuted for being a shitty person. And that is a significantly different.

Nevertheless, this “persecution” leads Christians to battle - to wage war against those who challenge their way of life. They must fight for Jesus. They can’t let this injustice stand. They must protect the faith. “Lions not lambs.” Armor of God. Etc. Etc.

Dear Christian, I am pleased to tell you this battle has already been fought. And the good guy won.

You can put down your weapons, unclinch your fists, and open your arms wide.

The battle wasn’t won with justice, but mercy.

It wasn’t won with force, but meekness.

It wasn’t won with strength, but humility.

And it certainly wasn’t won with political power.

It was won with love. To quote the Children’s Storybook Bible, “never stopping, never giving up, unbreaking, always and forever” love.

And now we are called to be a physical manifestation of that same radical (woke?!) love here on earth.

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

It is the same love we were shown while ‘we were still sinners’.

Love that doesn’t kick you while you are down, rather picks you up. Love that doesn’t further marginalize the most marginalized, rather restores them. Love that doesn’t say ‘you aren’t good enough’ or ‘you aren’t deserving’ without being poured out graciously despite those shortcomings.

As someone who grew up in the church, and a recovering Pharisee, I used to be offended by that type of love. I wanted to be the benefactor of it, but I recoiled when it was doled out to others...especially those I felt were undeserving.

How plainly hypocritical of me.

In his book, “Practicing the Way,” Pastor John Mark Comer writes:

But if you had to summarize Christlike character in one word, there would be no competition: Love.

Love is the acid test of spiritual formation.

The single most important question is, are we becoming more loving? Not, are we becoming more biblically educated? Or practicing more spiritual disciplines? Or more involved in church? Those are all good things, but not the most important thing.

And that is why I care about Centerstone (and things like it). And that’s why you should too.