Today happened to be my day to help in Ethan's first grade classroom. I arrived a few minutes early, because it is my genetic makeup. As I let myself into the room, I noticed the big screen on the wall with flags waving, a loud voice sounding over the din of the children. I made my way over to the teacher and aide who watched intently.
After brief hellos and a wave to Ethan, I noticed the teacher and her helper exchanging looks. It took me a minute or two to understand. Many of the children, including my own, were sitting at their desks oblivious, coloring or goofing off, some were wandering around aimlessly but there was one small group sitting right under the TV screen with hands folded and heads bowed. Rick Warren was praying.
This went on for some time as a tension began to build. The teacher actually looked at me and said apologetically, "I didn't tell them to do that"! I just smiled and nodded and felt extraordinarily amused. The prayer went on and on it seemed, finally culminating in the Lord's Prayer. As the familiar words rung out, child after child began to join in all over the room as the teacher looked on with horror and wrung her hands.
Obama: Change you can believe in?
- ljm
- ROCHESTER HILLS, MI, United States
- “These fragments I have shored against my ruins”
10 comments:
That is SO awesome, Liane! I'm not so sure about Obama's philosophies, but I'm so glad he picked Rick Warren to pray. I loved the Lord's Prayer at the end. Here's hoping that Obama actually reaches across the aisle and listens to both Democrats and Republicans and isn't afraid to bring faith into the White House.
My younger brother Jonathan is at the Inauguration (you can read about why on my blog) and he said that many people were booing and heckling Bush's helicopter as it left today. The lack of respect is so incredibly sad to me.
Such a great blog, L. Awesome, one of my favorites!
Liane, Cool. I love the irony!
This story was the talk of our dinner table this evening. Thanks for making our evening!
Maybe you should give the ACLU heads up about Obama imposing prayer on first-graders...Oh, and I'm impressed that that many of the kids knew the Lord's Prayer!
Out of the mouths of babes...!
I was surprised too that so many knew the Lord's Prayer...maybe 8 or 9 and the funniest part was the casual, almost absentminded way they joined right in when they heard it.
Now that gives me GOOSEBUMPS!!!!! That is the most awesome thing I've heard in years.
HA!!! I love it!
That is just stinking AWESOME!
tmf
I cried in laughter.
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