There is something so demandingly daily about May: each and every thing, person, task must be carried, cared for, fed, checked off, dispatched. For the graduates at CAJ, it’s a long haul toward June. When I taught English 12, we inevitably hit T.S. Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” in early May, which seemed fitting; school years - like the world - often end “not with a bang but a whimper.” Japanese school is only one month into the new year, but that too hits a slick patch as the novelty wears off and the daily sets in.
We all (secretly) like to think we’re one of the central characters, or at least a memorable side kick, in the world’s main story. Teaching, parenting, adulting, reminds you: even if you get all your lines right, all your assignments graded, all your laundry hung, you are a stage hand, crowd member #34,567, possibly just there to be killed off early as part of a big chase scene. A little blur at the edge.
Jesus loved the crowds, though. Had compassion on them. Even when they drove him to seek solitude over sleep. He fed each and every person, with left overs for tomorrow's lunch. The throng made up of treasured individuals. In a month where both of us find ourselves awake at night, tracking the endless stream of details, errands, assignments, students, conversations, we take great comfort in a God of detail who daily bears our burdens.
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| Picnic lunch! |
I’ve referenced this passage from G.K. Chesterton before, but here it is at length: “[Children] always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that he has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.”
Exciting news! We’ve booked tickets for a quick trip to the states! We will visit our home church, Lookout Mountain Presbyterian on Sunday, July 8. For local folks, we would so love to see any of you who are in the area! Please email us if you want to meet up!
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| Sports day at #2 Elementary School |
