T-E-A-C-H-E-R

Over the last several days, when I get a few minutes to myself, I’ve been re-watching one of my favorite movies, the original version of The Miracle Worker. I finally finished it, finally made it to the part that gives me chills: Anne Sullivan spelling W-A-T-E-R under the pump to Helen Keller and watching Helen transform from follower to seeker - seeker of knowledge, seeker of worldly attributes that she can neither see nor hear, seeker of all.

After that scene comes a poignant moment when Helen, who now knows that everything has a name, motions for Anne Sullivan to revel her ‘name’ to Helen. Anne spells T-E-A-C-H-E-R into Helen’s hand. Anne assumes the role that she would maintain for the rest of her life. More than a teacher, however, Anne becomes the eyes and ears of Helen, the translator for others to tap into Helen’s private world. Helen Keller would learn to communicate in ways that we could understand – first in writing, then by speaking – but Helen would always be cut off from the rest of humanity unless her teacher was present and spelling words into her hand.

“How can I reach you?” was Anne’s lament before that pivotal moment at the water pump. Anne was desperate to connect with Helen. In front of her Anne saw a capable child that was locked away in darkness and silence. It took both teacher and student to move forward along that path to the point of connection.

And water was the catalyst, how appropriate. Sustaining, quenching, cleansing, renewing, transforming, life-giving water. A breakthrough at the pump unlocked the door providing Helen new life as an active member of her community and the world.

Hmmm…where has water played a similar role? The Christian church uses water as a sacrament to provide new spiritual life through baptism. Was Helen awakened spiritually as well as mentally? (…upon reflection, I wonder how much of her story was actually true?) The play based on Helen Keller’s biography implies that God was at work at this moment through the water running in her hands and the teacher initiating communication. The title makes sense. Water provides moving imagery (literally and figuratively) for Helen’s transformation. However, not knowing the actual events leaves us in the dark about whether Helen or Anne understood God working within this dramatic action. Awareness may have occurred upon reflection…or not at all.

So my mind wanders back to the dedicated and stubborn woman spelling words into a deaf-blind-mute’s hand. What motivated Anne Sullivan to reach out to Helen? What did she see in Helen that others could not? What prompted her to try and try and try again even though she encountered failure each time?

I know that Helen’s intelligence, genius perhaps, led her out of physical darkness into the light we all take for granted. What can we learn from her challenges?

Where can we use this determination, this raw courage and inquisitiveness in our own lives?

At what point are we the teachers?…the students?

Is there a turning point where our lives are transformed into something entirely new – where we become the seekers?

Are we lost in the darkness? Who could be asking right now: “How can I reach you?”