Nativity Catholic Church
|
|
See Me Walk So Straight and Tall
A "FIRESTARTER" Spiritual Essay by Rev.
Dr. Benjamin
Berinti, C.Pp.S. Very early in life, I learned the importance of posture—and it came from my daily diet of Romper Room. This wonderful children’s show, long before the days of Pre-K classrooms and day care centers, helped us pre-schoolers in the 60’s to learn the basics of counting, reading, creative play and imagination, and most importantly, social manners. (Yes, way before there was a Sesame Street helping a new generation of children get an early start, there was Romper Room, not to mention, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood). Romper Room had many manifestations throughout the country, with each city having its own local version of the show, presided over by a Miss Mary, Miss Jill, or our Pittsburgh teacher, Miss Jane. I dutifully sat in front of the television each morning, following along with the lessons, the games, the songs, and even the snack time (I had to have my cookies and milk served at just the precise moment that everyone on TV was getting theirs). There were lots of little “ditties” we sang, teaching us everything from how to clean our ears to how to clean our room. One of my favorite lessons had to do with posture. The lesson was quite simple—it involved a small plastic basket and knowing the words to the song. As the music began, beaming its way from Romper Room into my living room, we stood as straight as we could, placed the basket on our heads, and proceeded to slowly walk around the “classroom”—all the while singing the verse of the song.
If you think this is so easy, give it a try! Grab a bread basket from the kitchen, place it on your noggin’ and start sashaying around the room while singing the Romper Room song! With regular practice, I became quite proficient at standing erect, without slouching, and keeping that basket off the ground. Now, somewhere between the tender ages of 3-5 and my early teen years, I must have forgotten the lessons of the Romper Room basket business, since I recall my parents always yelling at me to “throw your shoulders back”! While it was annoying at the time, I have been eternally grateful that I listened to them, and have never had a problem with my posture—no rounded shoulders here! “Posturing,” however, is more than something we practice to keep ourselves physically straight and tall. Along the path of life, each of us learns new ways to “stand” in front of other people. “Posturing” is the way we make ourselves look good in front of others. Nations practice posturing, so as not to look weak or pliable; Presidents and politicians practice it, so as never to admit making a mistake or breaking the law; spouses practice it to make sure blame is properly assigned; students practice posturing in classrooms and on playing fields to make themselves appear to be knowledgeable or confident; churches practice it to lord their moral authority over more sinful people, so as to cover their own sins; teens practice posturing to give the appearance of fitting in; even “road ragers” posture in order not to let other drivers get the best of them while recklessly careening down the highways. Posturing indeed is about how we “stand” and face one another. But it really has little place in a community of faith who commits to discipleship with Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks warnings about posturing throughout his ministry—Pharisees, scribes, teachers of the law, and even apostles and disciples melt as Jesus’ words wash over them about truth coming from within a person rather than coming from purely external actions. In Mark’s gospel, Jesus responds to the accusations of the Pharisees and scribes concerning his apostles’ lack of proscribed dish-and-cup-hygiene by telling them:
“This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts Jesus doesn’t completely reject good posture; rather he says that the best “posture” is a true reflection of what rests in one’s heart—what’s on the inside. In the end, the Lord is asking us to allow our external actions to be the mirror held up to our internal dispositions. Simply “posturing” to make a good impression, whether in the piety we hope to portray in our public prayer, or the words that pour so easily from our mouths, or the kindnesses we extend merely to be liked by others—all have little place in single-hearted discipleship. It is important how we “stand” before others—but the challenge is to make sure our external posture reflects a truly heart-felt internal posture. After all, God sees into our hearts, into the core of who we really are, and bothers little with external “appearances.” God, it seems, desires a heart that’s “straight and tall” more than shoulders that don’t slouch!
|
