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“Train a child in the way he should go…”

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I attended my first opera when I was eight years old. The place was Honolulu, where my father served as an Air Force chaplain. The occasion was the opening night of Verdi’s ‘Aida’, a dramatic story set in ancient Egypt. The role of the pharaoh was played by my father. The sounds and images of that night seemed to transport me to the banks of the Nile. I remember it like it was yesterday.

In the years that followed I developed a growing interest in ancient Egypt and read everything I could find. By the time college came around, I majored in ancient history and gave serious thought to studying near eastern archaeology with the goal of digging in the sands of Egypt. The call to ministry set another course but my interest in Egypt has never faded. My dad could not have predicted that one night at the opera would nearly result in a vocation as an egyptologist. An opera lover, maybe. But an egyptologist?

As Christian parents we can never predict with any certainty how our lives may influence our children. But this much is certain; influence them we will. And when Christian worship, learning, witness and service are the shaping and defining pattern of their parents lives, we can know that these influences can only help to define and shape our children as they come to know and trust in the God who loves them in Jesus Christ.

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“May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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