The other day I was driving somewhere with several of my young grandchildren, listening to the “Kids” Spotify playlist, when a song not on the list crept in. Its opening line was, “Bees can talk by moving their butts” (also the title of the song). Of course, the kids thought this was hilarious. A sardonic “charming” came into my mind. But I was also annoyed. A bee’s “butt” is called an abdomen. I love silliness as much as the next guy, but I have become increasingly disheartened at the dreadful attenuation of standards in children’s music and literature, and let’s face it, in education in general. For my part, I turned off the song to give a mini-lesson on the anatomically correct terms for insect parts.
How much can we expect from our kids? In this technology-saturated era into which our children were born, how high can we raise the bar in terms of education? Do we have to entertain students in order to engage them, or teach in sound bites to keep their attention, or compile a list of three-letter synonyms to describe complex concepts in order for them to grasp them? Do we need to assume the love of learning for the sake of it has lapsed into the realm of fond memory? Is the teaching of cursive, classic literature, lofty vocabulary, or rhetoric just a pipe dream that died at the hands of a culture that has commandeered our children’s hearts and minds— a culture which hasn’t just lowered the bar, but dropped it altogether?
Not at the school where I teach. Each year at Dayspring Christian Academy in Mountville, Pennsylvania, as part of the English curriculum, students in grades 3-11 research, write, and present an oration, which they present to their classmates. The Headmaster’s Oration Contest not only displays excellence in writing and speaking, but also the biblical literacy and reasoning wrought from rigorous teaching in both English and Bible. Topics include the necessity of Bible reading, abortion, adoption, artificial intelligence, and critical race theory, to name a few. The best of the best move on to finals status, where they present in front of the entire school and then to broader community audiences, one of which is a 2000-seat formal dinner. This year, the winner of that prestigious honor is a fifth grader whose oration is titled, Christians Should Speak the Truth Boldly. It was phenomenal, in both content and delivery.
One of my favorites this year was written by another fifth grader named Brielle. With her permission, I am posting it here to showcase the excellence that holding a high bar yields, even in the youngest of our children. Brielle, presenting her work with seeming ease in front of the entire school—including middle and high school students—eloquently captured my love of glorifying God in his magnificent creation.
Nature Shows God’s Design
by Brielle C.
Nature shows God’s design in many ways. He created everything for His glory and with purpose. Plants have multiple different abilities, animals have unique characteristics, and the complexity of the human body also shows God’s perfect design. I chose this topic because nature is one of my favorite things, and doing research for this oration helped me to learn more about it.
God created many unique plants in a variety of shapes, colors, and sizes and with different abilities. Did you know that there is a plant that can do math? The Venus Flytrap can count and calculate. When the prey lands on its trap and triggers the trapping mechanism, the Venus Flytrap counts down from 20 seconds. If it feels movement for a second time within 20 seconds, it snaps shut around its prey. The Venus Flytrap then calculates how much digestive enzymes to produce based on the movement of its prey. Other plants have different abilities. For example, trees help filter the air we breathe and they supply us with oxygen. The clover produces nectar which is used by bees to make honey. In Genesis 1:11-12 God says, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so…And God saw that it was good.” After creation, God looked upon the plants and claimed that His perfect design of the plants was good.
God made every animal special and with a purpose. One of my favorite animals is the snake. Snakes are fascinating and designed in an interesting way. Webster’s 1828, An American Dictionary of the English Dictionary defines design as “the idea or scheme intended to be expressed by an artist”. The design of the snake shows the creativity of God as an artist. The unique tongue of a snake has a dual purpose. It is able to directionally track prey and detect predators by collecting airborne particles. Snake scales are also remarkably created to help them climb trees and retain moisture. One purpose of the snake is to help with pest control. For instance, having a snake can help get rid of rats that might carry diseases. All snakes are carnivorous, they eat many rodents, insects, and other small creatures. The creativity of a snake shows how perfectly designed God’s work is.
The human body was created excellently by God. Just think about the fact that every part works perfectly. Every joint is in the right spot, every bone is in the correct place, every muscle, and every other body part are precisely positioned. Homeostasis is the ability of the body’s many systems working together to maintain internal balance. Webster’s 1828 defines perfect as “to finish or complete so as to leave nothing wanting”. When God created humanity He thoroughly crafted and perfected His design in Adam and Eve. The various unique systems within the body working together are evidence of this.
All of these distinctive parts of nature show God’s design very well. The variation of plant abilities, the characteristics of animals, and the complexity of the human body all display God’s wonderful design. Job 12:7-10 says “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In His hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind”.