This year, I have been impressed even more than usual by the care, discipline, and gentleness of the students at St. Mark’s. They have been open, thoughtful and diligent in their studies in my religion classroom. When asked to reflect, even the youngest of them have been unusually sober and mature, attentive and empathetic.

For fourteen months now, these students have been exposed to an unusual amount of uncertainty and suffering, both from the pandemic and from a heightened awareness of the violent realities of racism. They have witnessed far more vulnerability and flat-out inability in their teachers, parents, and government than any other cohort of students I have taught. There is no doubt in my mind that this generation of children has been imprinted and shaped by this experience in ways that will mark them uniquely and permanently. They will be “that” generation.

Last week, though, a curious thing happened. A group of boys claimed a space just outside my office window for some kind of energetic game that involves a lot of loud yelling, laughing, teasing, and cursing. With a 20-minute passing time between classes (due to the need for cleaning), they are out there a lot now, for brief bouts. My first thought was, “I need to go out there and ask them to keep it down, or at least to stop with the bad language.” But I found I couldn’t move off my seat; I just wanted to set my work aside and listen to it.  It was kids acting like kids, and it was a balm for my soul.

The climactic scene in “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” came to mind, when the Grinch hears singing rising up from the village despite how miserable their Christmas morning has been:  “He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming! It came! Somehow or other, it came just the same!”  Some things, apparently, nothing can stop; and to me, that morning, it felt like a blessing.

--The Rev. Barbara Talcott

Spread the word!
Do you know someone in the St. Mark’s community who would enjoy these reflections?
If so, please forward this email so they can sign up to receive them.