Advising a Letter Writer

Last updated on: May 9, 2007 at 2:30 am by Scot McKnight

Advising a Letter Writer 2007-05-09T02:30:38-05:00 Scot McKnight

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I have asked for permission from this person to make his [adjusted] letter to me public. Think about it and see what you think is best. What would you tell this person?

Dear Scot,
I have been reading your blog for some time now and want to thank you for it. My wife loves your stuff about women in ministry and asked me to say that to you. Please pray with me as you read the following letter; if moved, please offer any advice you might seem appropriate.
My daughter, a Christian woman married to a wonderful Christian man (William), had an affair with another Christian man. It lasted only two weeks, but they conceived a child. She immediately knew it was wrong, confessed her sin to her husband, to us (her parents) and to our church. Geoffrey, the man with whom she had an affair, was married at the time to Claire who was a teacher at our local Lutheran junior high school.
Now that our grandson, Marcus, is four, my daughter (her name is Rebecca) wants to send him to the Lutheran school but Claire has worked hard with the teachers and supervisors to prevent Marcus from attending that school since every time she sees him she struggles with her husband’s sin and our daughter’s infidelity. The school had promised Rebecca that Marcus would be welcome, but just recently they told Rebecca and William that Marcus could not attend the school. The teachers believe it would just be better if Rebecca and William sent Marcus to the public schools, but we are Lutherans and we believe firmly in a Christian education. Furthermore, we have supported our Lutheran school financially for nearly thirty years. We sent our three kids to this school.
More importantly, both Rebecca and William have been through lots of therapy and William, due to a miracle of God’s gracious power to create forgiveness, has forgiven Rebecca and now Marcus is the pride of his life (and Rebecca’s too). They want so badly to send their son to a Lutheran school.
What do you think we should do? My wife and I so want Marcus to attend our Lutheran school but we are not sure what to do. If we make it a big deal, it will just get everyone all bent out of shape. If we don’t do anything, Marcus will have to go to a public school. (I think you said your father was a public school teacher — so don’t hold it against us for our commitment to Lutheran schools.)
Maybe this is what most comes to mind: Don’t you think a Christian school should work a little harder with Claire at forgiveness? She has clearly forgiven Geoffrey (who used to work for us). Don’t you think this would be a great opportunity for the school to welcome this little boy and show the whole community what it is like to embrace in God’s forgiving, restoring, and recreating grace? Well, I sure do.
I know you must receive letters like this all the time, but if you have time to respond our family up here in the northwoods will be grateful.
We just don’t know what to do. Our pastor thinks the teachers have to be given consideration.
In the peace of Christ,
Blaine Hargrove

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