At Verideia we strive to foster a culture of Peace Making. In fact, we teach the Young Peace Maker program each year to all the students as well as it being one of our scheduled Chapel Themes. Through this focused teaching, students learn about the “Slippery Slope” and ways of working out conflict according to God’s Word. Despite these efforts, an ungodly culture of fear and intimidation around reprisals of being a snitch often holds sway.
The Holy Scriptures give principles to work out conflict such as, Overlook an Offence (Prov. 12:16: 17:14; 19:11; Col. 3:13; Peter 4:8) Talk it Out (Matt. 5:24-25; 18:15; Prov. 28:13; Gal. 6:1-3) and Get Help (Prov. 15:1; Eph. 4:29) The sad reality is that a culture of fear and intimidation of others or of being labeled a snitch is so powerful, violating God’s Word by refusing to get help somehow is justified by many of our students. The complexities of hierarchical peer relationships aside, in some ways you can boil this type of behaviour down to the fear of man being superior to the fear of God or, to put it another way, God doesn’t have my back if I obey Him. I am much safer to obey the mob. This fear of man is not a new thing, it is an old thing and a thing that each of us must grapple with.
Talk with your children about how you have and/or continue to battle the fear of man and share with them that one’s clear identity in Christ is the best solution. The bigger and more awesome God is appreciated, and to be the smaller man in comparison, the more boldly we can be to joyfully obey our Lord and King regardless of the label.
