Christ in Public Spaces

I am so proud of her. A student at H-BWoodlawn School in Arlington was asked by a teacher to remove Bible verses displayed on the outside of her locker.  You have to understand something about this high school, which is peculiarly set up to promote freedom of expression and inquiry in the education setting. [defacto school motto is  Verbum Sap Sat (VSS) "A word to the wise is sufficient" in their translation, although the correct latin phrase would be verbus sat sapientia (est).]  The student and her friend had been taking turns putting bible verses on one another's lockers as a way to encourage each other.  Lockers, walls, doors and any other upright surface in the school seem to be fair game for promoting a wide variety of thoughts, ideas, but for some reason a teacher called the bible verse-displaying students into her room and asked that they be taken down. They students were both very upset by the teacher's request and took their objections to the school-wide Town Meeting , held every Thursday.  After hearing about this yesterday, I attended to support them today.
Wonderful!  I was quite impressed at the level of discussion and the respectful way the issue was handled.  Both students and faculty teased apart and put back together again a wide range of interlocking issues: freedom of expression, who gets to say what's offensive and must an open and tolerant atmosphere of expression guarantee that no one be offended?; freedom of religion and the constitutional questions, the use and abuse of power in authority, fair treatment, etc.  In the end, the requesting teacher's view was not supported by a great majority of people who spoke.  Both students and faculty members supported the brave bible verse posting students.
I think Jesus is pleased, and not just because I support Bible reading, but because the values of open and honest communication, tolerance and respect flow from my Christian conviction.  Go H-B!