Religious Education

                  AND THE LORD SAID "GO" 

Last Thursday our entire school staff gathered AT a picturesque location in Cape Shank to begin our annual conference.  As always, prayer plays an important part of our gatherings. When we come together in the presence of God we reflect on our mission as Catholic teachers to provide students with sacred spaces where they might encounter the transformative power of Christ.   The poem I am sharing today was part of our morning reflection and calls each of us to consider what it is God asks of us and how we will respond to His call. 

And The Lord Said, “Go”               By Les Nelson

And the Lord said “Go”

And I said, “Who me?”

And He said, “Yes, you.”

And I said,“But I’m not ready yet,and there is company coming,and I can’t leave the kids,and you know there’s no one to take my place.”

And He said, “You’re stalling.”

Again the Lord said, “Go.”

And I said, “But I don’t want to.”

And He said, “I didn’t ask if you wanted to.”

And I said,“Listen, I’m not that kind of personto get involved in controversybesides, my family won’t like itand what will my neighbours think?”

And He said, “Baloney.”

And yet a third time the Lord said, “Go.”

And I said, “Do I have to?”

And He said, “Do you love me?”

And I said,“Look, I’m scaredpeople are going to hate meand cut me up in little piecesand I can’t take it all by myself.”

And He said, “Where do you think I’ll be?”

And the Lord said, “Go.”

And I sighed, “Here I am, send me.”

This poem/reflection written in 2007 is loosely based on some Old Testament scripture from the prophet Isiah.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am! Send me."  Isiah 6:8

With those words Isiah volunteers to be of service to God.  He was at first somewhat reluctant and fully aware of his own unworthiness to answer God’s call.  Standing in the Lord’s presence, Isaiah is made painfully aware that he is a sinner.  It was only after he had received God’s forgiveness and had been cleansed of his sin that Isiah was ready to serve the Lord in any way possible. 

As teachers in a Catholic school, we too are called like Isiah.  We have said “Yes” to God’s call to pass on the Catholic Faith to our students. Commissioned by God, called to be his witness, called to spread the Good News. We are inspired by Jesus, and we make it our mission to provide students a sacred space where they might encounter the transformative power of Christ.

We have answered God’s call to “form lives of faith, hope and love in the light of Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 13: 12-13).   

Kathryn Ady

Religious Education Leader