I have given them Your word, and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world even as I am not of the world.
— John 17:14
When High School seniors are about to graduate, they want to go to the prom. The graduation ceremony itself is worldly, but the prom is even more so. Graduations are simply an outward display, not the real substance. The parents have supported the children during their studies and have made sacrifices so that their son or daughter could graduate. This is the real honoring. What then is so special about the graduation ceremony? Nothing; it is all for show.
Yet, as if that were not bad enough, the parents usually get caught having to help out with the prom. Would it not be much better if the parents had a special dinner on prom night for their son or daughter and his or her friends? Then the parents could share the gospel sometime during the night while providing an exceptional meal. This way the young people would not have to be embarrassed or made to feel ashamed because they did not fit in with those people who want to dance and party all night. The high caliber people whom our sons and daughters know, who are looking for something dignified and noble to participate in, need this kind of uplifting and beneficial outlet. This is how we separate ourselves from the world.
Adapted from Oneness and the One Accord, pages 24-25.
Tomorrow: “Practical Examples of Separation (2)”