The sacred task of the Rabbi is often neglected or put aside by those who choose to minister. And yet everything you do, everything you say, everything you choose not to do is part of your role as teacher. Like O'Hare, Harris puts contemplation as the necessary foundation for a life of faithfulness. Sisters, brothers, take your time. Go slowly, listen deep inside yourself.
Simple things are holy.
Good teachers invite a diving in and wrestling with all that is available to us. It is a liberating experience and one where more than our own creativity is operating. Teaching creates an environment where students are handed over to themselves. Teaching from the heart is revering others in their wholeness and brokenness, in their joys and sorrows, in their contemplation and action. To revere is to recognize the sacredness of the educational process.