Latin Feasts and Servant Hearts

In my "pay check" job I teach Latin. One of the highlights of the year is the Latin Feast the last week of school. Traditionally the youngest students come as slaves and the older students are assigned places on the class spectrum of ancient Roman society. It just so happens this year that students who have been slaves two years already are the youngest class. They don't want to be slaves again and are pretty vocal in their protests!

I thought of using the slave thing as a motivation for rewarding hard work so that the students in that class who had worked the hardest would be rewarded by being promoted from slave to freedman. Would you believe that a few moms vigorously protested because her particular student didn't make that cut? Just sayin' ...

So I went back to the "drawing board" and appealed to the oldest class who would now be Patricians to show leadership by being slaves this year. As you might imagine, that crashed and burned very quickly! Then I thought, OK, maybe some moms and I can be slaves. And the more I think about it, the more I like that idea!  One mom emailed last night that her daughter and another girl in that youngest class wanted to be slaves a third year.

I have been reflecting ... I think there just might be a parable here. Our hearts are dark places. We don't like to take the low seat or the servant role. We often think we are entitled to better even if the reason is only just because or It's just not fair!

Not only are our hearts dark places, we live in a dark, broken world! 

There is an historical account - actually from the days of the Roman empire - of One who came from another world to take on the role of servant even choosing to die the most humiliating death in the most shameful way! He was the High King who chose to serve. He did it because there was NO darkness in His heart! He did it so the darkness in my heart and yours can be removed forever! His name is Jesus! He told us to be salt and light so He put hands and feet on that command. He showed us the way!

²The evening meal was in progress, ... ³ Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴ so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵ After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. ... ¹² When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. ¹³ “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. ¹⁴ Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. ¹⁶ Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them! (John 17:2-17)

What a parable for my heart today! It isn't easy to be a servant, but the One who shows that way makes it possible by changing dark hearts to want to push back darkness and be light - to become servants too!

Parade of Triumph in Ancient Rome

Hardly the place to find a connect with Scripture - Latin class - but the history reading for this week is on the grand parades Roman conquerors had when they came back to Rome after some stunning victory.
Reading about this Roman custom is very instructive to understanding - actually with new eyes - 2 Corinthians 2:14. Paul says, "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, ..."
In this Easter week it's way cool to reflect on some of the words in my Latin text as they are hauntingly reminiscent of the passion of Christ!

• One of the most sensational events ... in ancient Rome was the triumph of a victorious general. This was not an honor which could easily be won. ... He must have conquered in person ...and added new territory to the empire.
• Wow! - Isn't that exactly what Jesus did from His cross and from His tomb?!
• The conquering Roman general paraded his captives just as we also are trophies of His grace who become willing bond-servants of Jesus the King!
• Jesus' victory over sin, death and the grave were won at great cost to the Savior and to the Father who had to turn His back on His beloved Son - all because He bore our sins!

Isn't it amazing how God can use even the "foolish things of this world" to teach us heavenly truths that will sink deeply into our hearts?!

The Latin Student Who Shines

I love all my Latin students but there is one in particular who has captured my heart. He says Latin is his favorite subject.
Latin?! Who could possibly pick Latin to be a favorite subject? The answer is "just about no one"! I teach Latin in a private setting with 3rd - 8th grade students. One of them is a darling 4th grade boy. He is very quiet and mostly sits drawing or doodling with his head down. He always is tracking with the class, however. If I call on him he may take a minute to respond but he knows the answer and gives it after a very short pause. He always comes to school wearing a neatly pressed long-sleeved shirt and tie looking very professional and grown up. Technically drawing and doodling is verboten. But this particular student needs to draw or doodle to help him learn. You see, he has Tourette's Syndrome. Tourette's exacerbates with stress. I'm willing to bend "the rules" in his case for the greater good of allowing him to shine as he finds peace and comfort in my Latin class.
Last year he was also in my Latin class. At the beginning of school I noticed that he had several tics. And then, a few weeks after school started I realized one day that the tics were gone in my class. Now the only time he tics - and only a bit - is when I push him a little outside his comfort zone. Yesterday I asked him to go to the board and fill in part of a chart conjugating a verb in Latin. I was thrilled when he jumped right up and strode confidently to the board!
He has Tourette's Syndrome which causes tics and other symptoms. He also has a great mom and dad who are very special special needs parents. They know and understand his disease and also know their child and want him to be all he can be. It is obvious they work with him at home on his assignments and on processing vocabulary and grammar concepts we study in class.
One week last year our vocabulary list was words having to do with the house: window, door, wall, etc. His mom let him make labels on sticky notes and put them all over the house. She laughingly told me that they were all learning the Latin vocabulary.
When we do a class activity with teams of two to drill on vocabulary, he gets "run over" by a more aggressive student. It's not that he's less smart; it's just that he marches to his own drummer.
This year there is a very shy girl in the class - probably just as smart as he is but very tentative. She too could be very intimidated by a more aggressive student if they are paired together. One day I paired these two. Both of them smiled and quickly moved to work together. It was a beautiful thing to watch! They both "bloomed" as they worked together - each in his and her quiet way - to drill vocabulary words.
It's not that I'm such a great Latin teacher but I do love the kids and I love helping them learn! I have been so blessed to watch this particular student grow and stretch and find a measure of peace and comfort inside the walls of my classroom! What an awesome privilege to be able to participate in this young man's life and learning! It is exciting and very rewarding to my teacher heart to watch him shine!