We ALL Teach, So Be Careful of What and How!

Many years ago, I taught at a local Catholic elementary and high school. It was my first professional teaching job, and I was excited to pass along the knowledge I’d garnered over my years in college. As a Catholic school music teacher, I taught science, math, English, history… and sometimes music. I had one student in my history class who was NOT going to pass and, furthermore, didn’t care. When I approached him with this information, he kept saying, “I don’t care! I’m going into my family’s business. I don’t care if I pass or not.”

Exasperated, I asked, “What’s your ‘family’s’ business?’” Imagine my surprise when the young man told me his family’s business was something VERY illegal!

My teaching training kicked in, and I said, “Well, even in your dad’s business, history plays a large part! He needs to research, plan, and know the history of the situation he will be walking into.” The student gave me a wary look, smirked, and walked away.

At a parents’ evening at school, the student’s father asked to see me alone. Needless to say, I was nervous. I suddenly wished I’d become a banker instead of a teacher. Soon a mountain of a man ambled into my classroom scowling, “I’m [so-and-so’s] pappa.” I swallowed hard and stuck out my hand for him to shake. In an instant, he had his bear-paw-sized hands and arms around me—giving me a hug and beginning to sob.

All I could do was stand there and say, “It’s okay, it’s okay, whatever it is, it’ll be alright…”

After the man composed himself, he told me his son had told him about our exchange. He was shocked into reality. He said, “I had no idea he even knew what I did for a living, let alone planned on going into it.” The father had been preaching one thing to his son, “Be a good boy. Always do the right thing. Listen to your elders…” Meanwhile, his actions were teaching him to do something different.

For the sixth Sunday of Easter, we’ll hear of Phillip converting an entire community, then James and Peter coming to “confirm” what Phillip had done and laying hands on them to confer the Holy Spirit to them, making sure the people honestly knew who the Christ was. Then we hear Peter telling us we need to embrace holiness and be able to explain why we believe what we believe. And furthermore, we need to “show-and-tell” in a way that is not confrontational. Finally, we have Jesus telling us that IF we fully integrate what he taught into our lives, he will send the Holy Spirit to fill us and help us in every decision.

What we teach matters, but so does how.

If you were wondering what happened to the student, I am very happy to report he went on to business school and owns a local business that is considered a jewel of the community.

Ben Bongers

Ben Bongers KM – International operatic tenor and sommelier; now a Gerontologist, a candidate to the Permanent Diaconate in Kansas City, MO, and a Knight in the Order of Malta. He’s written for trade magazines, textbooks, and authored the award-winning novel THE SAINT NICHOLAS SOCIETY (up for The Mark Twain Prize), TRUE LOVE: 12 CHRISTMAS STORIES MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME, and THE FARMER, THE MINER, AND THE ARTISAN (children’s book).