You're a teacher, like it or not

I’m an avid James Taylor fan and have been enjoying his recently released album “American Standard”. It’s a compilation of songs, many of which he remembered coming from his family's album collection. Quite a few are show tunes that he’s adapted to his signature guitar collaborative style.

If you’re like me, when you listen for the first time to an album, there are certain songs that stick with you. Years later you can recall exactly where you were and what was going on around you when you first encountered those lyrics and melody. Its evidence of the impact music has on us. And there was one such song on this album.

It’s a cover of a song from the 1949 musical “South Pacific” titled “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught”. The lyrics go like this:

You've got to be taught To hate and fear You've got to be taught From year to year It's got to be drummed In your dear little ear You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be taught to be afraid Of people whose eyes are oddly made And people whose skin is a different shade You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be taught before it's too late Before you are six or seven or eight To hate all the people your relatives hate You've got to be carefully taught You've got to be carefully taught

You don’t have to look far to recognize we are in polarizing times that, as the song states, are fueled by fear and hate. I’m not suggesting we can’t have differences, but I pray we realize our individual responsibility and respect for those around us. Especially on behalf of those who look to us as examples…the little ones with “dear little ears”.

As a young person I learned a simple poem that has remained with me and returned to mind when I so desperately need reminding.

You’re writing a gospel, a chapter each day By deeds that you do and words that you say. People read what you write whether faithful or true. Say, what is the gospel according to you?

Whether you like it or not, you are a teacher. Teach carefully with love and respect.