Day On
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series II Cycle A
Early in January the students in Ms. Clark's ninth grade social studies class were learning about Martin Luther King, Jr.
They watched a video tape of Dr. King's life, which included his famous "I have a dream" speech. Ms. Clark asked the class what they could do to honor Dr. King on their day off from school. She explained that we best honor someone when we do something that person would do. There was silence at first, revealing that perhaps the students had never thought of doing anything out of the ordinary. It was an uncomfortable silence, with coughs, clearing of throats, and the shuffling of feet under the desks. "Come on," Ms. Clark challenged, "what can you do in honor of Martin Luther King?" Just then the bell rang. "I want you to come back tomorrow with some ideas," the teacher said as the students hurried out of the classroom.
After school Aaron and Ted were talking about this assignment. To be honest they hoped to sleep in and then hang out or play video games on their day off from school. They wanted to do what they usually did on days off from school. Ted said he remembered hearing something at his church about fixing up some older homes in the city. "Could you find out?" Aaron asked. Ted promised he would check it out and get back to him before class.
The next day Ms. Clark asked her students about what they could do for other people. Several students suggested that they could help homeless persons at the various shelters in the city. Another said she could help her mother around the house. Aaron and Ted proudly told the class that they were going to fix up a house in the city. "Sounds like some wonderful ideas," Ms. Clark told the class.
At the early hour of 8:00 a.m. on their only day off of school all month Aaron and Ted, along with others from the church and community, reported for work. The boys spent the entire morning in the basement of an old rowhouse shoveling sand, water, cement, and lime into a vat. Their project was to shore up the crumbling foundation wall. It was hard work in less than perfect working conditions.
These two young men felt the satisfaction that they were doing something to help another person. They took pride in what they were doing. "It's better than going to the mall," Ted would later tell his class.
When they finished in the early afternoon Aaron looked down the block at the other houses. "This is only one house," he said. "This is only one day. There are a whole bunch of dilapidated houses just falling apart. This should be an ongoing thing." This was just a start; there would be other days, and they could ask their friends and neighbors to help out with this project.
Ted explained the next day in class, "I kind of wanted to give something to the community, to see what I could do."
Ms. Clark was pleased with their effort. She told them Dr. King would also be pleased with their efforts.
They watched a video tape of Dr. King's life, which included his famous "I have a dream" speech. Ms. Clark asked the class what they could do to honor Dr. King on their day off from school. She explained that we best honor someone when we do something that person would do. There was silence at first, revealing that perhaps the students had never thought of doing anything out of the ordinary. It was an uncomfortable silence, with coughs, clearing of throats, and the shuffling of feet under the desks. "Come on," Ms. Clark challenged, "what can you do in honor of Martin Luther King?" Just then the bell rang. "I want you to come back tomorrow with some ideas," the teacher said as the students hurried out of the classroom.
After school Aaron and Ted were talking about this assignment. To be honest they hoped to sleep in and then hang out or play video games on their day off from school. They wanted to do what they usually did on days off from school. Ted said he remembered hearing something at his church about fixing up some older homes in the city. "Could you find out?" Aaron asked. Ted promised he would check it out and get back to him before class.
The next day Ms. Clark asked her students about what they could do for other people. Several students suggested that they could help homeless persons at the various shelters in the city. Another said she could help her mother around the house. Aaron and Ted proudly told the class that they were going to fix up a house in the city. "Sounds like some wonderful ideas," Ms. Clark told the class.
At the early hour of 8:00 a.m. on their only day off of school all month Aaron and Ted, along with others from the church and community, reported for work. The boys spent the entire morning in the basement of an old rowhouse shoveling sand, water, cement, and lime into a vat. Their project was to shore up the crumbling foundation wall. It was hard work in less than perfect working conditions.
These two young men felt the satisfaction that they were doing something to help another person. They took pride in what they were doing. "It's better than going to the mall," Ted would later tell his class.
When they finished in the early afternoon Aaron looked down the block at the other houses. "This is only one house," he said. "This is only one day. There are a whole bunch of dilapidated houses just falling apart. This should be an ongoing thing." This was just a start; there would be other days, and they could ask their friends and neighbors to help out with this project.
Ted explained the next day in class, "I kind of wanted to give something to the community, to see what I could do."
Ms. Clark was pleased with their effort. She told them Dr. King would also be pleased with their efforts.
