Greetings,
School has moved from 'great to be back' to its standard horarium~regulated schedule. The new has worn off and the boys are a bit ornery, the teachers a bit restless, and we're all a bit distracted...the fall days have been gorgeous here. In fact, I've just felt fragmented from the kids with work demands and demanding their work. There are days I'm pretty sure they are been shipped in from another planet just to test my patience. I've been praying for wisdom and guidance in seeing Christ in them in our midst, but I've needed more of a reminder.
School has moved from 'great to be back' to its standard horarium~regulated schedule. The new has worn off and the boys are a bit ornery, the teachers a bit restless, and we're all a bit distracted...the fall days have been gorgeous here. In fact, I've just felt fragmented from the kids with work demands and demanding their work. There are days I'm pretty sure they are been shipped in from another planet just to test my patience. I've been praying for wisdom and guidance in seeing Christ in them in our midst, but I've needed more of a reminder.
This marble work is on the side of an enclosed 'ambo' where the gathered community used to sit in a venerable old basilica in Rome (whose name escapes me right now). The emphasis of all the panels surrounding the congregation was on the Christian unity and connection to Christ. The Tree of Life symbol was my favorite. Christ is the Vine and we the members are all bound to him through the smaller vines; these vines connect us not only to Christ but to each other.
A reminder from the early centuries of the Church in Rome for me in my classroom in the Plains. We are all connected... I made this my 'desktop' so I would be reminded every day, throughout the day of this connection to my students, co-workers, family, friends, sisters. These visual reminders are important.
Yesterday, one of the sophomores asked what 'that' was as he pointed to the projection from my desktop to the smart board. I explained a bit about the basilica's pew space and the importance of the symbol. I went on to tell him that it was a good symbol for us too, that we also need to remember that connection to each other. We aren't just a classroom, we're a community of believers all linked by those vines to Christ. After my theological treatise, he replied, "Huh," and turned back to his previous conversation with a classmate. And I looked back at the image to remind myself yet again.
Blessings,
A reminder from the early centuries of the Church in Rome for me in my classroom in the Plains. We are all connected... I made this my 'desktop' so I would be reminded every day, throughout the day of this connection to my students, co-workers, family, friends, sisters. These visual reminders are important.
Yesterday, one of the sophomores asked what 'that' was as he pointed to the projection from my desktop to the smart board. I explained a bit about the basilica's pew space and the importance of the symbol. I went on to tell him that it was a good symbol for us too, that we also need to remember that connection to each other. We aren't just a classroom, we're a community of believers all linked by those vines to Christ. After my theological treatise, he replied, "Huh," and turned back to his previous conversation with a classmate. And I looked back at the image to remind myself yet again.
Blessings,
No comments:
Post a Comment