What do you do when you find yourself in the minority vote? How do you react when everyone around you says one thing and you don't agree? How do you keep your temper when what you say sounds ridiculous at worst and old-fashioned at best to all those around you?
This was the experience of Mr. Layton in a meeting of the Parents-Teachers Association at his 13-year old son's school. The main agenda was a preview of the new course in sexuality. Mr. Layton wanted to examine the curriculum with the other parents and teachers and take part in a demonstration of the actual lesson that would be given to the students.
When he arrived at the school, Mr. Layton was surprised to discover only about a dozen parents there. As they waited for the presentation, he thumbed through page after page of instructions in the prevention of pregnancy or disease. Mr. Layton was surprised to discover that abstinence was mentioned only in passing.
When the teacher arrived with the school nurse, she asked if there were any questions. Mr. Layton asked why abstinence did not play a noticeable part in the course. The response was shocking. There was a great deal of laughter, and someone suggested that if Mr. Layton thought abstinence had any merit, he should go back to burying his head in the sand.
The teacher and the school nurse said nothing, as Mr. Layton drowned in a sea of embarrassment. His mind went blank, and he could think of nothing to say. The teacher explained to him that the job of the school was to teach "facts"; the home was responsible for moral training. Mr. Layton sat in silence for the next 20 minutes as the course was explained. The other parents seemed to give their unqualified support to the material.
A break was called and parents were invited to put on name tags and chat with each other. Mr. Layton did not get up to mingle or get a name tag. He sat in deep thought. He was ashamed that he had not been able to convince them to include a serious discussion of abstinence in the materials. He uttered a silent prayer for guidance.
When the class was called back to order, the teacher looked around the long table and thanked everyone for putting on name tags. She ignored Mr. Layton. Then she said, "Now we are going to give you the same lesson we will be giving your children. Everyone, please peel off your name tags."
Mr. Layton watched in silence as the tags came off. "Now, then, on the back of one of the tags, I drew a tiny flower. Who has it, please?" The teacher asked. The gentleman across from Mr. Layton held it up.
"All right," the teacher said. "The flower represents disease. Do you recall with whom you shook hands?" He pointed to a couple of people.
And then the teacher went on to explain. "The handshake in this case represents intimacy.
So the two people you had contact with, shook hands with, now have the disease." There was laughter and joking among the parents.
The teacher continued, "And whom did the two of you shake hands with?"
The point was understood, and she explained how this lesson would show students how quickly disease is spread.
"Since we all shook hands, we all have the disease."
It was then that Mr. Layton heard a still, small voice. "Speak now, it said, "but be humble." He rose from his chair and spoke: "I apologize for any upset I might have caused earlier, but I would like to congratulate our teacher on an excellent lesson that will impress the youth." And then slowly and deliberately, he looked at every eye in the room and concluded by saying, "However, I have one small point I wish to make. Not all of us were infected," Mr. Layton said. "One of us abstained."
What a lesson! That's the way to go. Nobody said anything after that. Everyone got the idea. Mr. Layton did not blow his top. He waited for God and His wonderful timing. He prayed, and then wisdom came. Now take this story to a business meeting where all the suggestions you are hearing contradict your moral standards and principles. What do you do when yours is the lone dissenting voice in the conference room? Follow Mr. Layton's example. Don't blow your top. Pray and ask for wisdom.
The next time you find yourself in the minority, align yourself with God, and you will always be in the majority. God bless you. ❑
by Francis J. Kong