Recently, because we are part of the world, the world intruded into our school on a Friday afternoon. Not with the same virulence as it did in Parkland or in any of the probably 20-plus other places that have had significant issues this calendar year so far, but the potential violence of the world came calling. I am not going to go through all the details of the day, but it has led to conversations and changes at school.
The picture I have posted above was taken in the fall. I don't have one that is a closeup of the sign on the right, which is our "No Weapons" posting. Our sign says, "This is a Place of Peace." When my 10th grade students and I talked on the Monday after our "incident," I asked them what the sign says. I was pleased, first of all,that they have noticed the sign, and I really wanted them to talk about the difference between saying "No Weapons," a negative, and "This is a Place of Peace," a positive. Instead, we jumped into a discussion of all the different languages that are on the sign--peace in a multitude of languages.
Milwaukee has a multitude of urban issues--some days the struggle can seem almost overwhelming. On the other hand, there are very committed people doing great things in Milwaukee, and Milwaukee is incredibly diverse. For me, valuing this diversity is part of how I worship. These people wear the masks of God.
So, when I am the only white person in my Walgreens, and when I pass the Clara Mohammad School across the street from us and remember that their students are 100% Somali and their building houses the oldest mosque in Milwaukee, I thank God for this place that I found. Not perfect, and there are times in the last few weeks when I think each of us has felt like our skin has been flayed with sensitivity and sorrow, but I hope I am working toward this being a place of peace.
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