Making the headlines this week is the story of six year old Zachary Christie of Delaware who was expelled from school and facing 45 days in reform school as stipulated by the Christina School District's zero tolerance policy toward "weapons" brought into the school. The weapon Zachary brought was his favorite camping tool, a folding knife, fork, spoon and can opener with which he planned to eat his lunch. Besieged by a community rightfully outraged that a six year old was facing reform school for such a minor incident, the school board voted unanimously to change the policy and allow Zachary to return to school. So much for zero tolerance.
Certainly, we can understand why a school district would want to send a strong message about weapons at school given the violence that has plagued our schools in recent years. But, any time we make sweeping policy declarations born out of an emotional response to a current circumstance, there will be unintended outcomes. In Matthew 14 we are told of Herod the Tetrarch, who swore an oath to give up to half his kingdom, whatever she asked for, to the daughter of Herodias who had pleased him with her dance in celebration of his birthday. She maliciously asked for John the Baptist's head on a platter. To save face he reluctantly ordered John to be beheaded.
Judges 11 records the appalling story of Jephthah who, when seeking God's favor in a battle with the Ammonites, made a vow that upon returning from battle he would offer the first thing out of the door as a burnt offering to God. In order to keep his vow he ended up burning his only daughter on a sacrificial altar. Yikes!
It seems we human beings are inclined toward knee jerk rule making and ill considered declarations we wish we hadn't made. Thankfully, God isn't of that nature. Indeed God did lay out some specific laws he wanted us to follow. But if you read the record carefully you'll see that he built in some loopholes. Throughout the biblical record God's mercy trumps his judgment. His discipline is always accompanied by a promised future and hope. Paul straight up wrote that God does not deal with us as our sins deserve (2 Corinthians 5). And most significant of all, we are informed that God has, through Christ, even abolished the initial consequence he had stipulated for our sin, death (1 Corinthians 15 and 2 Timothy 1:10).
That the school board decided to waive the demands of their policy and let the matter drop was good news to Zachary and his family. That God has made room for mercy and grace in his dealings with seriously flawed humanity is great news for us all.
