5.5 bible
You have had the chance to look at the wisdom literature of the Bible, of which the book of Psalms is part. The Psalms represent a special place in the Bible and have been a source of consolation for many readers down through the ages. Some of these Psalms would have been chanted during pilgrimage from the northern and western regions of the land of Israel as devout religious Jews and their families made their way to the temple in Jerusalem to celebrate the annual festivals. We see this, for example when Mary and Joseph, the parents of Jesus, travel with their family to Jerusalem for one of the festivals only to lose track of him later. They find him in the temple courts asking questions of the religious leaders there. Other Psalms would have been sung as part of those festivals. And still others capture deeply personal moments of lament, confession, reflection, and emotional distress. We see this in the Psalms written by David when he was running away from King Saul, who sought to kill him. We find beautiful poetry which captures David’s ups and downs, his hope and his despair, at various moments of his life. Often the images David draws from come from the land itself, as he found various places of refuge. We read of the waterfalls and springs found in the northern part of the land, near the Lebanon range. We read of the arid deserts of the southern territories, as well as the caves in the sharp cliffs along parts of the Jordan valley. In the Psalms, David vents his frustration with God in times of impatience and loneliness and despair. He confesses sins, such as his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. But we also read of the consolation and comfort David finds in ‘remembering’ the commandments of Torah. These are the cries of one who seeks answers from God, desires to please God, but is also intimately familiar with his shortcomings as a king, as a lover, and as a man. He was distressed. But in his distress, he learned to ‘look to the hills’, to ‘look to the things above’, to ‘look to God’. The Psalms are a space of repentance, confession, recommitment, reconnection to God—humankind’s ultimate hope.
As we reflect on our vocation as educators this week, I want you to bring to your mind the image of a child whose face is sad, eyes down on the ground, losing hope. Childhood is an interesting space. Children can become discouraged for so many little things, whether it be getting an answer wrong, forgetting to bring their lunch to school, a tear in their jeans from recess, or simply not getting to do something they want to do. But children can also lose hope for deeper things, things which make their bones ache with anxiety and despair. It could be parents addicted to drugs or alcohol. It could be a lack of access to good food and nutrition, medical or dental care. It could even be some form of verbal or physical abuse. I don’t know if you know what it is like to have a child come to your desk as a teacher and share with you their personal stories, to let you into their world, to see the things in their lives which bring tears to the edges of their eyes. But you will. And it is in those times that we have the opportunity—as teachers—to lift their eyes up to things above, to provide comfort and hope. In the book of Revelation, there is a beautiful passage which relates that Jesus will restore the hope of those who have endured great hardship and tribulation. It says, that
“The one who is seated on the throne will shelter them.
They will hunger no more, and thirst no more.
The sun will not strike them,
nor any scorching heat;
for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd,
and he will guide them to springs of the water of life,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
– Revelation 7:15b-17
Part of being an educator is having this perspective of the children under our care—to wipe away a child’s tears. What does it mean for you and me—as educators—to have as one of our tasks to uplift the faces of the children we teach, to give them hope, to bring grace and mercy and light to their dim worlds? What does it mean to mentor and guide children in ways which encourage their spirits? which reconnect them with their special dignity and worth? And what does it mean to bring righteousness and peace to the spaces they inhabit every day? What ‘bold actions’ might we—as educators—need to take in order to bring order and light to their school, their homes, and their communities? to restore their hope?
- Initial Post (300-500 words):
- Identify a Psalm which expresses a sense of despair and hopelessness.
- Rewrite the Psalm from the perspective of a child who feels downtrodden. Be creative. Change the subjects to be subjects which are more believable and age-specific for a child. Express the same emotions and feelings of the Psalm with the issues and words of a young child (you can pick the age and circumstances). Here’s an example taken from Psalms for Young Children by Marie-Helene Delval.
When I trust in God,
it’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket.
With God on my side,
I am not scared of anything –
not during the day,
not during the night.
Psalm 91
- After rewriting your selected Psalm, respond to the prompt above.
- Be sure to divide your initial post with appropriate headings to make it easier to read (e.g., “My Rewritten Psalm”, “Encouraging the Downtrodden”)
- Follow-Up Posts: Guidance for quantity and quality of Followup Posts is provided below under the heading “Point Boosters for Follow-up Posts.”
