A TEACHER’S PRAYER
January 27th, 2008
A TEACHER’S PRAYER
by Michael Ian Lomongo, January 2003
Dearest Lord, you are the true teacher that leads us from the darkness of ignorance into the light of wisdom. You have deigned to call us to follow your footsteps and become like you in this respect: a guru, a sensei… a teacher. Inspired by the teachers we’ve had, and loving the wisdom that we desire to have and share with others, we heeded your call.
And so, we became teachers. And in the process of sharing whatever knowledge, skill, or wisdom we had, we happily found our joy, passion, and compassion growing.
But there are times when teaching seems to be mere drudgery, a drag, a dreary, thankless job. There are moments when our responsibilities seem so huge and overwhelming, we cannot but feel small and puny. Moments come too, when we even question the meaning and value of what we do.
During these moments, help us remember the joy we felt in our initial discovery of something new and amazing, and in the realization that we had the power to share this with others. Help us keep our hearts and minds open, ever-ready to receive and learn from our experiences, mistakes, our colleagues, students, and the people around us. For even as teachers, we know that we never cease from being students.
Help us remember, Lord. Inspire us, that we may keep inspiring others.
Help us remember, Lord. That remembering, we may become true teachers.
Amen.