By Michael Patrick O’Brien–
Lent, at least as I always have understood it, is the season of penance and forgiveness. During Lent 2018, Pope Francis reminded us, “God’s forgiveness is felt strongly within us as long as we forgive others. And this isn’t easy because grudges make a nest in our heart and there is always that bitterness.” A nine year Utah boy seems to comprehend this meaning of Lent better than many of us adults.
His story is rather straightforward. A Catholic resident of Bountiful, Utah, he recently went to a morning Ash Wednesday Mass, got ashes on his forehead, and then went on to school. Ashes on Ash Wednesday, of course, symbolize the dust from which God made us and to which we shall return.
The boy’s fourth grade teacher apparently did not know any of this. She saw the ashes and told him to wipe them off. He tried to explain their religious meaning, but the teacher did not listen, so he washed them off. The school found out, contacted the boy’s family, and expressed regret for what happened.
The school placed the teacher on administrative leave pending an investigation and issued this statement, “We are sorry about what happened and apologize to the student and the family for the teacher’s actions. The actions were unacceptable. No student should ever be asked or required to remove an ash cross from his or her forehead.” The school also contacted a Catholic deacon affiliated with the district, and he reapplied the boy’s ashes.
The boy’s teacher sent him a handwritten apology, “I am so sorry about what happened today. I hope we can move forward from this.” She also gave him a gift, reportedly some candy.
Local, national, and even international news picked up the story, including CNN, NBC News, USA Today, Newsweek, and even the Daily Mail (UK). Harsh comments followed, mostly from people who never met the teacher or the boy.
Perhaps some of the vitriol was explainable as from persons victimized elsewhere at other times by genuine haters showing genuine hate. And yes, I have heard of online trolls before, and I know some folks react stridently to pretty much anything, just for the joy of being provocateurs. Many comments really stood out, however, probably because of their juxtaposition to Lent, the season of penance and forgiveness.
Some commenters assumed the worst about the boy and his mother: “Nothing to see here folks, let’s keep the traffic moving. Attention seeker only.” Some assumed the worst about the teacher, citing to her supposed Latter-day Saint background (news reports never specified her religion) and saying, “You don’t have the right to wear your ‘funny underwear’ and your ctr rings…and then demand that everyone else give up their crosses, ashes or other outward signs of their beliefs.” Some assumed the worst about everyone: “All religions are the problem, not what one religion is doing to another.”
Some folks decided the situation could not be fixed, i.e. “a simple apology is not good enough” and demanded that lawsuits be filed. Some thought the problem could be fixed this way: “I would have shoved the candy up her nose!” Yet, these reactions were mild compared to others I read, including: “Direct and brutal action must be taken against this creature” and “that teacher should have got some strokes of the cane by God.”
One person tried to mask obvious anger with cynical humor: “I hope the punishment for teacher is not too severe. Perhaps she should be required to drink green tea and go to heck.” One clueless character, maybe a bot attracted to the trending topic, missed the whole point altogether: “Do you need a well certified loan to settle debt, pay off bills or start a new business including expanding of your business? If yes contact us now quick hours approval for more information of our loans offer. You’ll be glad you did! Contact us at cheerfulloan.”
Despite all the online outrage, bluster, sarcasm, and commercial exploitation, the real victim in this situation, the fourth grade Utah boy, had an interesting perspective. Yes, he felt humiliated and embarrassed by his teacher’s actions, but he also appreciated her penitential gesture. “I accepted her apology. I kind of feel bad for her,” he said. “She’s a great teacher, and I don’t want her to lose her job.”
This young man’s actions now are my model for the rest of Lent 2019. I am not going to give anything up like I often do. Instead, I am going to try to do something, to forgive more. What’s that line from the Bible? “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.” (RSV, Isaiah 11:6-8)
