Dear Friend of CEAI,

Today marks the 100th anniversary of an unusual day—at 11:00 am on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the guns stopped firing in World War I. Of course, this is why November 11 was chosen as Veterans Day. While not my typical before-church Sunday selection, this morning I was reading from Citizen Soldiers by Stephen Ambrose, an account from the subsequent World War: WWII. This passage quoting a German soldier particularly struck me: Corp. Friedrich Bertenrath of the 2nd Panzer Division explained, "In Russia, I could imagine nothing but fighting to the last man. We knew that going into a prison camp in Russia meant you were dead. In Normandy, one always had in the back of his mind, "Well, if everything goes to hell, the Americans are human enough that the prospect of becoming their prisoner was attractive to some extent."

Reading this made me proud to be an American, despite our imperfections. How did America become a nation that would be described this way by an enemy soldier? I believe at the forefront of various explanatory factors is the rich legacy of those original Puritan founders who wanted to create in America what John Winthrop called a "city on a hill," referencing Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.

Of course the extent to which America has lived up to that ideal or lives up to it today is debated by many, which is not my purpose here. Though I would add that we as educators have a lot to do with passing on this ideal, in both word and deed, to the next generation of Americans.Jesus' words about being a "city on a hill" also directly apply to our role as Christian educators in our schools.

Are we living in a way that models Christ to our students and colleagues? Would they want to know Jesus because of what they see in us? As we express gratitude to our veterans for the freedom we enjoy, it is a good time to ask ourselves about how we are using our freedom to extend His kingdom.

So please thank a veteran for their role in protecting this nation and the opportunity we have to be a "city on a hill." Finally, if you would like to discuss how we can grow in representing Jesus on our campuses or just receive prayer, simply reply.

Blessings,

David Schmus, Executive Director Christian Educators Association International