The Basics of Life

Miss Rababa was my 8th grade language arts teacher. Even more than her words, her appearance demanded attention. She had jet black, long wavy hair, a pearly white complexion, large dark sunken eyes and a bright-red lipsticked slash of a mouth. Her teaching method was amazingly simple, but effective.

She would stand at the chalkboard and write out the rules of grammar in large flowing script for us to copy into our own book. Then the last few minutes of class, she would read to us. The poetry I remember most clearly was the saga of Evangeline. Miss Rababa struggled to keep her voice steady and hold her tears toward the end. There was surely much more to her instruction, but that’s what I remember.

It just occurred to me at 5am this morning that her method comes Highly recommended. The rulers of Israel were to make their own copy of the Judgments for the nation—a tried and true method for making the material their own. The prophets and the teachers told stories with high drama to enhance the memory of keystones from their nation’s journey. I imagine their appearance was captivating as well, the character of their own story written in the lines of their face and the urgency of the mission in their eyes.

We too have a compelling journey, story be told. It’s as ancient as all time and as unique as each person in the sight of the Almighty.