What is the purpose of education, actually? This is a question I’ve been asking for a year. I see no reason why the purpose of education for a Christian should not be the same as God’s first commandment. You shall learn to love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). See what four SoWashCo School Board candidates, who now sit on the board, had to say about the purpose of education when asked last October. Their answers are in quite stark contrast to “learning to know God.” This spiritual duality is easy to identify. It is like a picture of the serpent and the dove from Matthew 10:16, but the duality of political ideology in government remains a mystery to me. It should follow the same pattern as all other dualities of creation – like the left and right brain, the expanding and contracting of muscles, the rise and fall of convection, or the woman and the man of marriage – but this is not so with political ideology. If harmony is to be found in the balance and orbit of two opposing forces drawn together by a central unifying core, then God must have a purpose for the duality of governance in His kingdom. We might think of the political debate like a dance of differences or a game of theatrical nonsense which serves as the most useless thing and the most useful thing simultaneously. Of course, all games require rules, boundaries and referees. The key to a harmonious duo is the core in which it orbits. In the case of civil government, LAW is to be the central animating spirit that pulls these two opposing forces into harmony. Without the rule of law, peace cannot exist.
Impending Tumult
ON THE HORIZON
For a long time I was waking up in the middle of the night with this urgent sense that the ground was shaking. The earth and all her beasts, mountains and flowers of the field seemed to be responding as if to the birth of something unimaginably large in utero. It’s as if God was waking up His army. Did you feel it? There was this energy in the atmosphere as the seasons turned from fall into winter in 2025. It was the time of the Annunciation Church shooting and Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom. It was like static… as if a slumbering army were being shaken awake, into line and into formation.
You might think dreams like this are scary, but they actually made me more zealous than ever! You see, my first prayer is for Jesus to come soon – today in fact, right not, this very minute – and my second prayer is for God to shake more of us up, awaken the yearning for Truth, and send more people out of their comfort in search for the pearl of great price! This is God’s army coming, and since I know what end time prophesy says, I hope this means that God is waking up his church right now and preparing us for the battle that lie ahead!
Let’s go! Shake us up! Forge us with fire! Let any bad teaching burn away!
Forge Us With Fire!
Moses divided the water with his staff at God’s instruction. As prophesied, John the Baptist prepared the way for the LORD at His first coming and in so doing divided the Old Testament from the New.
The theme for 2026 is “Make Straight Paths” as a way for the believer to prepare his/her heart, soul, mind and strength for the second coming of Christ. We can know how to do this by following John the Baptist’s lead who baptized sinners in the water Jordan for the glory of God. We can trust that God will go before us to level high ground, open closed doors and cut through thick bars (Isaiah 45:2).
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Advent
CHRISTMAS SEASON 2025
I will admit, I entered into the Christmas season feeling troubled by how church leaders in South Washington County responded to the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, a fellow member of our body. I felt confused and let down by the body of Christ, and, as I scurried around giving, volunteering, and writing for my Christian non-porfits, my dreams at night turned back to spinning in circles… just like 2020 before the Holy Spirit shook me awake and straightened me up.
During Advent, we meditate on the words LOVE, JOY, PEACE, and HOPE as we increase fellowship and prepare our hearts to receive God’s great gift to us, our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.
The 2025 Christmas season felt very heavy to me, and as much as I tried to let the definition of these words land and absorb into my soul, there was a disconnect. When I heard these words spoken in the church (of which I attend many) they seemed to fall on each person in a spirit that was NOT of God… these words like empty shells given, received and filled with whatever the core of each person’s political persuasion. The sermon that was delivered was politically neutral to make the congregants feel safe and secure.
I don’t think it was the intention of the ministers to solicit this kind of effect, nor do I think it is my job to judge the spiritual fate of a pastor, priest or church. I do think it is my job though to discern sound teaching versus false teaching, and I do think there is a lesson to be learned in how the fear a minister has for his congregation can lead us to this place of confusion and immorality in the church.
There is a Danger
There is a danger in preaching to the political middle as if we Christians have no business in the public matters of civil government. We are born into this time and this place. We are called upon to be good fruit in civil government just as much as we are in self, family and church.
There is a danger in confining our spiritual preparedness only to the non-confrontational innocent dove of Scripture. Don’t get me wrong, I love becoming as innocent as a dove, but Jesus also instructs me to become as wise as a serpent (Matthew 10:16).
There is a duality to Jesus’ teaching, and this Truth is being sacrificed on the alter of social justice. The wolf in our midst does not just live outside the church. He takes up residence in the body of self, the body of family, the body of church and the body of civil government.
We the Church cannot continue to neglect the WISE SERPENT. Negligence and naiveté are not fruits of the Spirit.
Borders & Boundaries
THE 2025 THEME SPILLS INTO THE NEW YEAR
Borders & Boundaries,
Meet U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I find this dance with the Holy Spirit so fun! Especially when he connects the dots of my research throughout the year in ways I never planned or saw coming.
In April, I set out to study borders and boundaries found in tangible things so that I might begin to understand their use in cities and houses and human souls.
The fringe typically functions as a space on the edge of the world for the abnormal to be normal. It is a space where distortion, surrealism and exaggeration is expected. Think of the skin of a pineapple or the bark of a tree. It is rough to the touch and difficult to penetrate. But once you get through the tough outer layer, its center becomes soft and uniform. This visual pattern carries out through all of creation and exists in sight, sound, taste, touch, feel, AND spirit. Borders and boundaries are a natural part of life.
Barriers are meant to protect us. We have locks on the doors to our house, and we don’t give the key to just anyone. Robbers are not welcome inside my home, and neither is spiritual deception welcome in my child’s education. Parents generally do not give ALL PEOPLE free access to the core of their family (ie. child), and individuals certainly do not WELCOME ALL into the core of their being.
Illegal Immigration
When chaos broke out in Minneapolis in January over the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the formula of confusion and deceit felt oddly similar to the racial riots of 2020 … The governor, mayor and media created a frenzy of lies to stir the pot and draw a line of division between the federal and state governments. The public was lured out of their homes to fight in the streets, and some were killed. Social media was flooded by this spirit of do-gooding, judgement and condemnation. We are being played… forced to pick one of two sides, neither of which it is our job to defend or rebuke in such mob-like manner.
The part I find fulfilling through it all is that God has prepared me for this… and if he prepared me then he’ll prepare you. All you have to do is let him in. Let him break down the stone cold walls built up around your heart.
Human Pride
The pattern of human pride is a both a painful and fascinating study. It is like watching a grown adult try to catch a fish with his/her hands underwater only to see them miss by a foot every time. If the person could just step back for a moment, he/she would realize their perception is skewed from the outside looking in, but the person is too angry to recognize that vanity is spinning them around like a top going nowhere.
Conflict
DANCE OF DUALITY
The duality of political ideology in government is a mystery to me. I want to understand it from a structural level. If harmony is to be found in the balance and orbit of two opposing forces drawn together by a central unifying core, then God must have a purpose for the duality of governance in His kingdom. To be a good governor of your body is to rightly rule and subdue it. This is what it means to have self-control, which is a fruit of the Spirit. We might think of the political debate like a dance of ideas or a game of cooperative play. Of course, all games require rules, boundaries and referees.
Government
WHY IS CREATION DESIGNED THIS WAY?
CIVIL – LEFT & RIGHT : I really want to explore this idea of dual pairings. Why are humans so prone to conflict? We are in conflict with God. We are in conflict with each other. We are even in conflict with our own selves. The key to a harmonious duo is the core in which it orbits. In the case of civil government, LAW is to be the central unifying magnet that brings these two opposing forces into harmony. Without the rule of law, peace is not impossible.
CHURCH – LEFT & RIGHT :
FAMILY – LEFT & RIGHT :
SELF – LEFT & RIGHT :
Further study would indicate that it is by these forces of opposition that the world is held together. This is just so fascinating. Look at this …
In the Beginning
HEAVENS – WATERS BELOW & ABOVE
EARTH – SEA & LAND
LIGHT – NIGHT & DAY : It might be easy to take the cosmos for granted, but it functions in a dance of it’s own. Why can nature play by the rules while humans continuously break them? From the very beginning, the universe was created in an alternating duality of light and dark, day and night, sun and moon.
CREATURES – FISH & BIRDS
PEOPLE – WOMAN & MAN
Gravitational
RISE AND FALL
CONVECTION – COLD & HOT : Current and wind. The warmer molecules gain energy, expand, and rise. The cooler and denser molecules fall. Together they move the water/air in a circle as cold water/air fills the vacant space and forms a continuous flow. This dance is a built-in structure of the universe.
Muscular
BRAIN – LEFT & RIGHT : The Left-Brain cognitive functions include Logic, Reasoning, Language, Analysis, Math, Reading and Writing. The Right-Brain functions include Creativity, Art, Music, Dreams, Intuition and Imagination. Both sides support the entire body and traverse back and forth while communicating.
MUSCLE – ANTAGONIST & AGONIST : The muscles of the body expand and contract in dual pairings. As the biceps contract (Agonist) the triceps relax (Antagonist) and vice versa. When one is not functioning properly, the other is affected. The whole body is made up of these dual muscle relationships.
MUSIC – FIERCE & SWEET : There is a dual tension in lyrics and music, especially classical music. Think of Beethoven’s 5th symphony. Da Da Da Daaaaaaa. Da Da Da Daaaaa. The ferocity and tension melts into sweetness and playfulness making us long for resolution between the two. When that comes, we feel satisfied and at peace.
Scripture
DISCIPLE – SERPENT & DOVE : And just like the structure of the world, the Bible is written to speak into this duality of creation. Both stand for opposing spiritual forces, but both must follow God’s rule of law. Knowing yourself and knowing your enemy means knowing each one possess a duality of its own.
SOUL – CURSED & BLESSED
BURDEN – HEAVY & LIGHT
CLASS – SERVANT & MASTER
TESTAMENT – OLD & NEW
TALENTS – FEW & MANY
KNOWLEDGE – FOOL & WISE
FRUIT – EVIL & GOOD
God is Sovereign
God himself is sovereign over all His creation. He does not exist in the same duality as we do. God encompasses His omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence, affirming that nothing occurs outside of His will and purpose. His relationship with the world is one who is outside the world. He has no rival, for even Satan takes his orders from God.
Christian Education
AND THE SPIRITUAL CORE
Given what we know, as professing Christians, about the Prince of Peace and the life He promises in death, I see no reason why the purpose of education for a Christian should not be the same as God’s first commandment,
'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
I think Noah Webster had it right in the 19th century. The purpose of education is learning to know God.
Purpose of "Education"
In October 2025, I asked each school board candidate, through a public platform, to answer this question: “What would you say is the purpose of education?“ You will notice, I did not ask what is the purpose of PUBLIC education, but rather what is the purpose of EDUCATION. You see because I think there is a difference. Public education has become a global initiative whose purpose is substantially different from that purpose held by local families, local business owners, and local residents.
I think it is relevant that the two most highly “schooled” candidates in the field of education (Elizabeth and Chad) did not appear to differentiate between “education” and “public education”. Upon a follow-up request to answer the question as it was asked, neither one offered clarification. I have included their answers below.
Candidates elected to
District#833 SoWashCo Schools
in November 2025
All endorsed by UTSWC & Education Minnesota
Elizabeth Bockman Eckberg
Question: What is the purpose of education?
“Public education has a huge role in our society! Public schools help foster a love of learning for all students – no matter their ability or identity. Public schools are a place for all students to explore relationships with caring adults and peers. I have a child with special needs and public schools are one the only places that must meet his needs in his IEP by law. I spent nearly 14 years in public school classrooms in middle and high school science – including 11 years at South Washington County Schools – and I took my role as educator incredibly seriously. My focus was ensuring students’ needs were met first with the help of other school staff per Maslow’s hierarchy of needs then finding the zone of proximal development for students to push them to learn within that framework with supportive scaffolding Zygotsky. My area was science – so the types of skills and knowledge in my classes included scientific reasoning, critical thinking, fostering curiosity, claim-evidence-reasoning style writing, interpreting data / graphs / charts, determining valid sources, and much more. My curriculum development for students focused on project and problem based learning allowing the student to take responsibility and drive some of their own learning.” – Elizabeth Bockman Eckberg
Katie Schwartz
re-elected
Question: What is the purpose of education?
“Education is more than grades or tests. It’s about helping students discover who they are, think critically, and prepare to make a difference in the world. It builds confidence, empathy, and the skills to work with others. At its core, education empowers people to grow, contribute, and keep learning throughout their lives.” – Katie Schwartz
Louise Hinz
Question: What is the purpose of education?
“The purpose of education is to make our lives better. Education satisfies our natural curiosity to understand our world, how to live in it, how to enjoy it, how to thrive in it and how to contribute to it.“ – Louise Hinz
Sharon Van Leer
re-elected
Question: What is the purpose of education?
“I would say the purpose of education at the core is really serving several interconnected goals, knowledge and understanding which will provide the tools necessary for our children to make sense of reality in our society and critical thinking, it is developing the ability to question, reason and make sound judgments rather than simply accepting information, it is being inquisitive. It also involves personal growth to mature with curiosity, creativity, empathy, and self-awareness education can help our kids discover who they are and what they value and to possess practical skills that will equip them with the skills necessary to navigate through this life and contribute meaningfully to society from literacy to collaboration. That is where I see education for our kids it is giving them the tools and opportunity to be productive citizens and go into the world and be the changemakers that we need.“ – Sharon Van Leer
Notice the repeated emphasis on the word “WORLD”. Notice also how Sharon uses the word “NEED,” as in the spiritual core of the global education system needs my child to be a change maker for the Democratic Socialists Party of America (who funds the teachers’ union and their endorsed candidates). I will circle back to this topic and the answers given above in future articles. In the mean time, check out “Language Of War On Life” where you can see that SoWashCo defines literacy word-for-word by UNESCO’s definition.
Global Education
AND THE SPIRITUAL CORE
This circle illustrates the compulsory public school building on a spiritual level. At the center is the spiritual core – heart and soul – of the global system. Each slice of the pie represents a student who must quiet their own spiritual core when entering school so as to adopt that of the school’s. The student enters as a fragmented piece of their whole self.
The reason why I believe Compulsory Education laws violate religious liberty is because of the pervading influence of global education on our local public schools. The purpose of global education is the same as I imagine to be satan’s first commandment – you shall love the world your god with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
How incredibly relevant and real this toxicity of global allegiance is today. Peace is not possible in the middle of these two worlds, and politics though dirty, are completely fair game in the godly education of God’s classroom.
If you feel the urgency in the air and on the earth as I do, then you understand me when I say, I’m not messing around. I do not write to hear myself talk. I do not speak in generalities like the world speaks to you out of fear of judgement or cancellation. I do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather I fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28).
My greatest desire is that, through writing and publishing, I learn to know God so that I might do HIS will, and somehow inspire others into a courageous life of Faith and transformation in Jesus.
Up Next
What Is Peace?
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. "
