"Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old."
As a principal, teacher, or parent, making a change is often most successful when you get involved. When I consider Catholic school leadership and/or education, there were times when I would need to get involved in disciplinary and/or academic situations with students. There were instances when I would need to spend more time forming, supporting, and managing teachers and staff. There were opportunities when I would have to encourage and work toward a stronger partnership with parents and families.
While I can't say that I was always able to help students, personnel, and/or family members during those situations, getting involved would often help to change behavior.
When I served as an administrator of PreK - 8 grade schools, I would often squat down to interact with the littles face to face. This posture would help me to connect with students in ways that towering over them never would.
This lowering, in both physical and metaphorical ways, signaled an intimacy that could demonstrate safety, concern, and/or seriousness.
On Christmas...well, technically on the Annunciation...God rend the heavens and came down to earth.
God came to us in the human person of Jesus Christ. God entered our human existence in its entirety in all things except sin. He came to us so that we might have eternal and abundant life. God lowered Himself so that we might be lifted up.
God entered into the mess of human life: frailty, poverty, refugeeism.
God went to the margins: the poor, the widowed, the lame, the blind, the sick, the oppressed, the captive, the brokenhearted.
God came, in the person of Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, to show us the way, teach us the truth, and bring us to fullness of life.
God rent the heavens to lower Himself so that He could be face to face with us and say: "I love you and you matter."
I love you.
And you matter.
Rend the heavens, Lord, and come down.
