Yo, Teach!

"Jesus and his disciples set out for the villages of Caesarea Philippi. Along the way he asked his disciples, 'Who do people say that I am?' They said in reply, 'John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets.' " - Mark 8:27-28

In two weeks, I will be standing in front of a class of 17 second graders, in an attempt to teach them about the Catholic faith, get them ready for their first reconciliation and their first communion. 

Yes, take that in for a second. Seventeen 7-8 year-olds. 

And while I'm both excited and extremely nervous about this, I've also been trying to think about how, exactly, I share my faith with a seven year old. I make some assumptions in this blog - that, if you're reading it, you're pretty good at navigating the web, that you have an interest in the practice of Lectio Divina, and/or you're related to me. But I can't exactly share my faith the same way I do here as I will with kids. It's going to take a different kind of approach - one that may include crayons, songs and Play-Dough.

When I first read these verses, I was thinking of a completely different reflection on them - that Jesus was trying to figure out his "status" within the people of his time. But as I started thinking about it more, I saw parallels to my upcoming adventure. I started thinking about why Jesus wanted to know, rather than what he was asking. By this time, Jesus has been doing signs and wonders, all while preaching about God and fulfilling his mission. And he's asking his disciples to see if what he's doing is working - if his approach is successful. And by their reply ('John the Baptist, Elijah, etc'), the people of his time aren't quite there. They need additional instruction in a different way to help them understand and believe in Jesus and his message. A demonstration that will culminate in the death and resurrection of his life. 

While I won't go to the extremes that Jesus did, I still take this reflection and message to heart - that, by taking different approaches in sharing my faith, not only will I be helping others understand what I believe, but I too will grow in how I see the world through Christ.