God's servant will bring forth justice

I must admit that my faith in God is rather weak. Perhaps as a result of my upbringing, I am diffident and easily discouraged.
The Catholic Church in Hong Kong decides to bring her case to the Court of Final Appeal. The Hong Kong Government passed an amendment to the Education Ordinance, stipulating that all School Management Committees of government subsidized schools should include representatives from parents, alumni, teachers and members of the community. The SMC's should be incorporated, i.e. becoming legally liable. The Sponsoring Body (i.e. the Catholic Diocese) can still appoint up to 60% of the SMC members and control decisions on school policy.
This amendment looks reasonable and attractive on the surface. After all, all diocesan schools are spending public money. Their administration should be made more transparent to public scrutiny. But we cannot simply look at things on the surface.

Sr. Beatrice Leung, SPB, has done a research on the history of school buildings in Hong Kong, The missionaries were the first peoples who provided education for the citizens. The colonial government was not much concerned about this. Schooling was to provide elites to serve the society. Things took a turn when many communists started infiltrating local schools. The colonial government requested the Christian churches to build more schools to counteract the infiltration. Since then, many Christians schools mushroomed to provide education for the majority. The Church and the colonial government were partners. Now that Hong Kong has returned to Communist China, the education ecology is slowly transformed. The Church can no longer provide Christian formation of the young without political interference. Moreover, the government is reluctant to shoulder all compensations arising from damages or injuries. She wants to shift the burden to the incorporated SMC's. This is a rough and biased sketch of the background behind the amended Education Ordinance. That is also why the Catholic Church continues to appeal against this ordinance since its passing in 2004. The Church supports the democratization, the accountability and transparency of SMC's. What she objects to is the sole model of IMC for all aided schools.

I have no intention to join the debate. As a burnt-out teacher, my teaching days are numbered. I cannot deny the satisfactions I gain in teaching. But I cannot deny the frustrations either. There are good principals, teachers, students and parents. But there are also incompetent principals, irresponsible colleagues, restless students and immature parents as well. Coupled with armchair education officers locked inside air-conditioned rooms to churn out unrealistic policies, teaching is not a rosy career. Pardon me for the bitter language, I sometimes fancy that if I were the Bishop of Hong Kong, I would close down the diocesan schools and channel the thinned out resources to more fruitful fields.
The Vicar General has a different view. In one of the Scrutiny Rites he officiated, he asked the candidates how many of them had attended diocesan schools. Many hands were raised. He further asked how many of them had decided to become a Catholic after joining some evangelization functions. None! He concluded that the Church should continue to work in the educational field to evangelize. The VG has his point. I have been wrong in being so weak in faith. But that is what I now am.

Reading Isaiah on the Servant of God today, I feel ashamed.
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law (Isaiah 42:1-4).
God will not delight in me. Sometimes, I raise my voice in frustration against my students. My patience runs thin when I see my students waste their time fooling around instead of studying. I am easily discouraged when principals build decorative things to please their superiors instead of supporting educational activities proposed by us. I really have an attitude problem with my bosses.

Dear Lord, You know best. If You still delight in me, soften my attitude and pour out Your Spirit. Amen.