Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thankful Thursday 1/13/2011

On Wednesday evenings, I teach a 5th grade religion class. When I was a child, this class was called "Catechism". When my daughter was a child, this class was called "CCD". It is now called "FF" for "Faith First".

I have been teaching this class for a few years now. Most Wednesdays, I start anticipating the 7:00 class sometime in the afternoon. I used the word anticipating because the word dreading has such negative connotations. Most Wednesdays, I come home from class knowing that I learned - or relearned - so much more than the kids did.

Last night is a perfect example. We are learning about the liturgical calendar, the calendar by which the Church orders its' year. We are currently in "Ordinary Time", that time between Christmas and Lent and also between Easter and Advent. It is the time when we learn the most about Jesus' ordinary life - not the huge milestones of His birth or of His death and resurrection - but His life among us.

Towards the end of class, we just sort of devolve into a discussion time, when the kids ask questions about whatever is on their minds. What is on their minds is very rarely what I have just spent 40 minutes talking about. Last night, they wanted to talk about the recent events in Arizona, when Representative Giffords was shot and Christina Green, among others, died. We were discussing praying, for the repose of the souls of those who died, for the healing of those who were hurt, for the skill of their doctors, for the first responders who, as one child pointed out, will have those pictures and memories in their minds forever. I mentioned that we also needed to pray for the young man who committed this horrendous act and especially for his family.

It is easy to pray for the victims. It is much harder to pray for the perpetrators.

It is easy to remember the families of the heroes and to think of their pain. It is much harder to think of the family of the gunman and of their pain.

I am thankful, on this Thursday, that I cannot imagine the pain of the shooter's mother. I am thankful for children who remind me to look further, to look deeper, to pray harder. I am thankful that I live in a country where, amidst all of the chaos and confusion, it is still our first instinct to protect, to shelter, to find the good that is always present.

3 comments:

Sayre said...

I feel sorry for the shooters' parents who are understandably bewildered and hurting. Sometimes it's hard to miss the signs of something going drastically wrong and other times it's so easy to miss them when it's subtle. Either way, I'm sure the parents are feeling plenty of guilt on their own for either missing signs or seeing them and not knowing what to do about it.

~SwAmPy~ said...

Your words ring so true. I've watched so many reports about this incident and followed Gabby's progress. (Although, I do wish the others who were wounded had their progress reported, too.)
I've mainly thought about Christina's parents.
And yes, I've thought about the parents of the gunman.
But, I hadn't given a second thought to him.
I have now.
Thank you.

Raef said...

I not in agreement as to what the gunman did. I will let you know what its like being bullied all your life starting a school in fifth class the teacher belted me every day, I was recently told by another student in the same class that this man was evil. I have carried the scars of this all threw life and prefer my own company. It is only in the last few years that I have started blogging and my reading and writing skills have improved immensely. My emails are stories instead of yes no and maybe. I think you Americans have a problem with the second amendment having the right to bear arms. This is a privilege not a right as some do not have the right. I live in Australia and we don't have the freedom to have guns and just as well cause if I got a gun I might have been a gunman. I could make your blood run cold with what happened when they sacked me when I was working in a coal mine and carried out on a stretcher and got nothing. The union even wanted there back dues before they would release my holidays and sick pay. Yes I was scared and still am even after ten years. They don't know how close they came to a coal mine disaster at my hands. I forgive them now and I have a good life. But things could have been a lot different....nuff said

 
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