This Kairos Moment
The Greek language has two words for “time” — chronos and kairos. Chronos is quantitative, denoting chronological or sequential time — the forward propelling of time that we measure with clocks. On the other hand, kairos is qualitative. It is the right, critical, proper, and opportune time to take action. Kairos means taking advantage of or even creating a perfect moment to deliver a particular message.
Consider Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. This is a good example of a kairos moment. He gave this speech at a critical point in history. Many people thought he was impatient, that time would eventually bring the social justice he sought. He had to be bold, courageous, and passionate. What he said wasn’t easy, but you know what? It was the right time to deliver those words.
Romans 13:11–13 uses the word kairos to communicate that the time has come to wake up and smell the coffee. It calls for action, conversion, and transformation—a change of life. Similarly, 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 uses kairos to explain that the time may not be a crisis but an opportunity and favor. God assists us in discerning when we face a moment of grace.
One of my favorite lines to say is this: If there was ever a time to homeschool, it is now! I hope it is obvious that when I say “time” I am referring to kairos. In other words, today is the right, critical, proper, and opportune moment to homeschool.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst leading to a surge of new homeschooling families in 2020. Additionally, mask mandates, ineffective online teaching methods, increasing pressure to forward the liberal agenda, moves to indoctrinate students with transgenderism, outright rejection of academic standards, and a widespread acceptance of relativistic and postmodern thinking have all contributed to a continuation of this trend in 2021. Assuming you are like most families across the world, you place a high value on the education of your children. And the last eighteen months have caused you and other parents to consider (and test drive) all of the options more intentionally than you ever did in the past. The result—more families are starting their own homeschool journey. You may be one of them.
Let’s face it. When you and other families experienced a mandatory trial run of homeschooling in the spring of 2020, necessity brought out the best in everyone. Parents covered the basics, took the bull by the horns, and made it work. And you know what? Many discovered that they were onto something. After a few months, you and millions of other families realized that you could actually do this thing called homeschooling. And it was good — as in really good — for your kids.
So let’s step back and review some of the big news stories from the year of our Lord 2020 and the first half of 2021. We would all agree that the COVID-19 pandemic made the headlines. But we also need to include the following: Antifa riots, BLM protests, sexual orientation and gender identity policies, critical race theory, economic uncertainty, questionable election results, climate change propaganda, and the cancel culture. Yet I propose that the biggest news story of the year was the dramatic shift toward home education.
Yes, COVID-19 was the reason behind families making the jump to homeschooling, but here’s why I say the surge in homeschooling is the biggest new story of the past eighteen months. COVID-19 is bad; homeschooling is good.
Like it or not, many people get started on their homeschooling journey because of a bad experience. That’s how we got started twenty-five years ago. Our oldest son attended a local public school for thirteen days before we pulled him out because of several dramatic and negative events. In other words, we had our own COVID-19 moment back in 1996. Some families start homeschooling because of negative social experiences (bullying, for example) in a public or private institution. Others start because they are tired of their kids being surrounded by immoral behavior and bombarded with pressure to join in the revelry. Still others start because of the low academic standards and failure to help their students achieve their intellectual potential.
The reality is this. The homeschooling population experienced a recent COVID-19 surge. But the modern homeschool movement has been growing for years. Families have been answering the call since the early 1980s. It’s literally the most significant social, cultural, spiritual, and academic movement of the last fifty years.
Maybe COVID-19 helped get you started on this adventure of a lifetime. Maybe you’ve been at it for years. Either way, here’s what I want to ask. Are you looking at your decision to homeschool as your kairos moment? You’re at a critical time in history. Make sure you are awake. Stop and smell the coffee. God is granting you favor. He prepared you for such a time as this. Will you walk by faith and take advantage of this opportunity? Make sure you are fully in the moment—this kairos moment.
I think it’s worth saying again. If there was ever a time to homeschool, it is now!
Walking by faith and enjoying the homeschooling adventure of a lifetime!
Davis Carman
Davis is the president of Apologia Educational Ministries, the #1 publisher of Creation- based science and Bible curriculum. He is the author of five illustrated children’s books designed to help parents instill a biblical worldview in the hearts and minds of their preschoolers. He believes that if there was ever a time to homeschool, it is now! You can hear more of what he has to say at the Let’s Talk Homeschool Podcast.
© 2021 Davis Carman