Mount Hermon Teachers

1 Chronicles 5:23  And the children of the half tribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land: they increased from Bashan unto Baalhermon and Senir, and unto mount Hermon.

I never went to Sunday school. Bible classes in my Christian school were compulsory and taught once a week as a part of regular curriculum. My first memory of this class is of sitting at the back-bench and sneering at the teacher.

Today, I am among many of the band of brothers and sisters. We are a family of siblings dotting ages and places who have known Jesus through their Bible teacher. In school, we made a directional and attitudinal change in our life’s goals and value systems. Most of us have stayed on course and found school to be the best years of our lives and the Bible the chief element of our foundation.

What made this remarkable change?

As I ponder on this question, I can visualize several images from the past. A tall lady, clasping a set of books, a jhola strung along her shoulder, walking on a well tread garden path towards the school: a young school boy following her asking her questions on books, life and problems of adolescence. A circle of children, different ages, girls and boys, sitting on small chairs, flipping songbooks stuck with cyclostyled bits of paper with familiar choruses! A clump of children in the playground, by the swings; not playing during the school recess but huddled together in a brief prayer!!

Our teachers influenced our lives in more ways than one. Teachers who would get no extra pay to spend their evenings with the children; while some would teach games, others would lead in singing and drama and yet others would simply “hang around” and talk to the kids. Some teachers would even spend their holidays with the children; a camping trip, a picnic or a movie show.

No teacher was pushy, or arrogant, or self centered!! They would always give the children their space, make learning so much fun and encourage their holistic development. It was never books and books; Biology classes meant an excursion for collecting leaves and plants; Geography for collecting rocks and stones; English meant reciting poems of nature in the garden and History a complete class play: Ballista!

Despite the fun environment, there were also deep churnings. Dog-eared new testaments in the coat pocket; marked and underlined several times over. An early morning spent facing the mountains with a quiet prayer stirring in the heart; to lift up the mist of uncertainties and childhood confusions.

My last day at school ended with a realistic prayer. Life ahead would be different. The shelter and the warm seclusion would be no more. Was Jesus just a passing fancy or could He be a companion for life? “God”, I prayed, “if You mean business, give me something that I can have for keeps!” A few days later, I invited Jesus in my heart and life; I took the step of faith that despite the unknowing future ahead, I chose to begin my walk with Him.

It has been twenty five years since, and I have found God to be faithful! Every day.