I suppose it is an understatement to say the world feels unsteady these days. One need only tune to a news program, scroll social media, or drive on Houston’s wrathful roads to sense the turmoil. In the classroom, especially in April, the emotional thermostat often shows an all-caps error message reflecting this distress. I teach 3 different grade levels spanning ages 12—17, and I will be the first to say we all get overwhelmed by the possibility of some kind of failure.

What are we to do? As teachers, as parents, as humans—how do we face a time and place where it seems darkness waits around every corner? My own heart finds its hope in both prayer and re-reading Tolkien for the umpteenth time. I believe we can take direction from the wisdom of a beloved wizard. A brief scene: in the face of a seemingly pointless decision to send humanity’s remaining fighters to stand against the hordes of Mordor at the Black Gate, Gandalf says,

“It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succor of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.” (Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

My marriage, my home, my classroom—the fields I know. The place where God is calling me to uproot evil and take arms against the darkness. I do this not by grabbing a sword (see Mr. Yniguez and Mr. Reynolds for those) but by seeing, knowing, and serving my people. We can do this work by choosing to see the good in a kid (or spouse) who is having a bad day. We can hold healthy boundaries in a spirit of charity rather than rigidity. And sometimes, we can offer a hug and a snack and promise to try again tomorrow.

Love may not be all we need, but it is certainly what will save us in the end.