Courage Revisted

 

Last year as summer ended and the school year began,

I wrote about courage.

 

Quoting a Celine Dion song, I wrote:

 

“Courage, don’t you dare fail me now

I need you to keep away the doubts

I’m staring in the face of something new

You’re all I’ve got to hold on to

So, courage, don’t you dare fail me now.”

 

I went on to write:

 

Courage: the ability to do something that frightens you.

 

Courage: the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty

 

Courage: the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, new things, etc., without fear; bravery.

 

Courage: being a public-school teacher in a society that constantly tries to undermine the importance of diversity, equality, accessibility, experience, and education.

 

I add this year:

 

Courage: starting again in new, smaller space and trying to figure out how to make it work.

 

Oh God: Shed light on this new year and grant me the courage to face the year with steadiness, hope, and belief in the work that I do. Help me to stand boldly for what is good and right and help me to educate my students’ whole selves. Grant courage to my colleagues as well, and grant courage to my students to face the year with an openness for growth and learning that results in healthy and whole human beings. Help us all to navigate through the fears, doubts, and worries that are setting in as a new school year begins, and help us to land on the possibilities of what can be when we face the year with You.

 

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16: 13-14)

 

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

 

Amen.