Full Faith Friday

I call it “Full faith Friday”. I will confess, it is not the best name, but it is alliterative and, after puns, it seems to be the most attractive literary device to my students. I’ll forgive them for both of those sins! Almost every Friday I take a break from teaching and I offer my students a chance to grow and actually encounter each other and God, directly. As a theology teacher maybe it is a bit easier to justify taking one out of every five class periods to do this, but I suggest to teachers that no matter what class you teach, what club you moderate, or what sport you coach, you have a real opportunity to help your students encounter Authentic Love… to know their worth.

Every Friday I take my students to the chapel, reminding them that the purpose we have in life is to Love and to be Loved. They leave their phones and their iPads and any other distractions in the classroom; all they have with them is a pen and a reflection that I have prepared for them. It turns out, I almost always use the Gospel reading from the upcoming Sunday Liturgy. It takes a few weeks to get them in the habit of this, but I want them to begin to approach Scripture as if it is God speaking directly to them. I tell them to imagine the Gospel reading is a Love letter from God, written for them, individually. Over the year, they develop a habit of reading the Scripture, not with an analytical eye, but with a heart for encounter and relationship. Most students have no idea how to do this at first, but I coach them. They turn these reflections in to me and I comment on every single one of them. The comments we give our students when it comes to things like this give them a sense that their words matter…their thoughts and feeling matter. They do, in fact, matter. We are made to be Loved and when we read Scripture we are literally encountering the Love of God….if we know how to read it with a humble and vulnerable heart. They do this in total silence, seated far from each other and distraction. I even tell them to avoid sleeping during this period so they can be conscious of any inspiration or feeling that comes from the Scripture.

                I know this is not ideal for most classes, but aren’t we, as teachers, walking-Scripture for our students? Aren’t the comments we give to them on their essays or projects affirmation that they are heard and Loved? Aren’t the little notes we write them as they enter their exams a sort of Scripture verse for them to know that they are Loved no matter what grade they receive? Aren’t the short reminder emails we send them signs of our concern for them? They need to know that they are Loved; they need to reflect on how they are Loved.

                We actually only spend half of the period on the chapel. We go back to the classroom and we flip the coin, so to speak. We are made to be Loved, as they experience in the chapel, but we are also made to Love. We find our worth, not just in receiving Love, but also in giving Love. This is where our dignity and purpose shine. I call it “Three Cups of Tea”, in reference to what Greg Mortenson describes as a tradition in Pakistan and Afghanistan of offering a third cup of tea to one who is considered “family”. It is simple. We return to the classroom (or go outside) and gather in a circle. One student will ask a question (it cannot be a “yes/no” question) and every student responds. The only real rule is everyone has to listen to the one speaking; everyone has to show that they are listening by looking at the speaker. Every student responds to the question, if they want to, and then when everyone has answered, another question is asked.

                It is funny how different classes can be. Today, for example, I played Three Cups with a few of my classes, and they ended quite differently from each other. One of the classes, a group of juniors, ended mostly in laughter, answering questions about favorite words, favorite smells and where their names come from. I Love it when I have that one student who just can’t stop laughing at the silliest things that come out of this game. Another class, 9^th graders, ended more in tears and hugs after a question related to a “life-changing experience”. The only thing I try to do during Three Cups is remind students to listen. It is in listening that these students begin to realize that they have the choice and the power to Love…to acknowledge the dignity of others. They have the freedom to help another person know that they are Loved. It gives dignity to the speaker and it activates the dignity of the listener.

                Again, this is not a thing that can be done in every classroom, but it is an idea that can be present no matter where we encounter our students. We are called to help our students become who God made them to be: Lover and Beloved. This is their Authentic Self. We can cultivate this Love in the classroom by challenging our students to be vulnerable and by expecting our students to listen…to Love. I have seen powerful things come from this. I have seen tears and I have seen laughter. I have seen passion and I have seen total and unsolicited Love between my students. If our job in Catholic schools is to help our students to “look like” God, then we can do this, even if we teach them math or science or literature or history or if we coach them or moderate a club; all we have to do is create a space where they can experience Love, not just from and for us, but also from and for each other.

(Keeping Watch on the Neighborhood)