There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it’s going to be a butterfly.

I read this in a little devotional book which linked it to 1 John 4:7:
‘Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.’

How often do we judge the caterpillars in our care? We might even pass judgement on colleagues, parents, etc. and all without the thought that God created these people and He may be working something miraculous in their lives even as we choose to ridicule them. We need to look through the eyes of Jesus and see them for their potential and not what they can’t do.

The debate over the Burns Report is focusing on academic selection. All too often we have non-academic caterpillars in our classes who have their hopes of being butterflies seriously undermined by our education system. Parents want the best for their children but they need to see further than the discredited Transfer Test and Grammar School attendance as being the only route to reach this goal.

Too often our non-selective schools have been ridiculed by parents and yet there have been such a variety of beautiful butterflies emerging from them in recent years. Let us not promote academic excellence only but make sure all our pupils are given the chance to find their niche in life and also experience the love of Christ.

Keep praying for pupils and colleagues, especially those going through difficult times, whether the stress of the job or redundancy or whatever, and especially those students going through examinations.

Have a good summer - Shalom

PS. We are changing the format of our annual meeting this year. It will be on Friday evening, 18th October 2002 at a venue in Belfast. We will have a time of praise followed by an inspirational talk by Derick Bingham.

We hope you will plan to attend.

Spring 2002