Earworms and Memes

I’ve had two songs on an almost constant loop in my head since Sunday. One is Cornerstone by Hiillsong which we sang in our service and the other an arrangement of Thy Word that was used as a postlude.

I can’t put into words how wonderful it is to have these uplifting earworms when it would be so easy to have less inspiring thoughts, words and images taking up residence in my mind. Whether it’s sound bytes from south of the border or memes on facebook that lean into people’s anxiety and need to scapegoat or point fingers at whatever group appeals in the moment (anti-maskers, BLM protesters or anti-BLM protesters, governments, etc.), we can pollute our minds and become angry, depressed and filled with despair. I don’t want to minimize the legitimate suffering and realities of the world right now, but we also need to consciously choose how we respond and what we allow to fill our thoughts and direct our actions.

One group currently, and frequently, targeted is teachers. Last week I focused on the anxieties of our kids and parents as they contemplate returning to school. This week I covet prayers for our teachers who are being thrown into a much more difficult situation than normal this September. I encourage you to counter messages that teachers who are standing up for their safety and the safety of their students are merely lazy, whiny or taking advantage and not wanting to do their jobs. In Ontario, some of this attitude has been modeled by our Premier. So little information and protocols have been provided and the stress level for teachers is through the roof. Add to that the concerns of teachers who are also parents and concerned for their own children and you have a recipe for acute anxiety and being overwhelmed. The pressure and weight of responsibility is immense and the fear of catching or passing on Covid-19 always there.

We all put out energy into the world and have a choice of how we respond to the messages we receive. We can fortify ourselves against the onslaught of negative messages, opinions and emotions of others. Spending time meditating, praying, listening to inspirational music, reading scripture and doing yoga or other exercise enable us to cultivate positivity. We allow ourselves to be lifted up, to re-frame what is happening as not being forever and an opportunity to be more human and more responsive as the body of Christ. We can live the words of Romans 12:2 to not allow ourselves to conform to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then, we are better able to discern God’s will for us and how to be part of the solutions for what troubles all of us.

Getting back to our teachers, please take some time to pray for them and for all our school administrators and support staff. Pray for custodians, educational assistants, Early Childhood Educators, secretaries, bus drivers, lunchroom supervisors and all others who will be nurturing and supporting children in a very anxiety-filled time. Starting back to school is stressful enough without Covid-19 thrown into the mix. Find out who the educators are in your congregation and give them words of encouragement. Offer to be a listening ear for the situations that overwhelm. Stand in solidarity with everyone who will try to make school safe in these challenging times. Offer to drop off a meal or in-home movie night kit. This fall will stretch everyone involved to the max and will require lots of flexibility, creativity and energy.

May we all be willing to see the value in education - not just book and subject smarts but people smarts and compassion smarts and community building smarts that all happen in the classroom alongside the prescribed curriculum. May we all continue to be students of the Master Teacher, willing to come and sit at His feet and to engage with Him and the Word. May we all continue to be willing to be used as teachers who inspire others to learn and think carefully and follow the One who loves us despite the mess we’re in.

Let’s keep learning and filling our minds with things that bring us Life so that we are resilient in these time for ourselves and others.