A Spiritual Reading of the TMI Alma Mater

What happens when we read a text in a new way, looking for deeper levels of meaning? How can we take common, everyday words and phrases and find something we've never seen before in them? Once we "take it for granted" is there any way to "take it in a new direction"?

In my Religion and Scripture classes, I challenge my students to do a deep reading of sacred scriptures. I ask them to pay attention not only to the surface level of meaning, but also to the verbal symbols used in the text, and the text's interconnections with other texts and ideas. If one believes that there is a God or Ultimate Reality which inspires various scriptural traditions, I also encourage students to see how the ideas in one text can link with ideas found in other spiritual traditions. To help them on this path, I usually offer them three "starter questions" to look for the big ideas, ethical values, and spiritual practices found in the texts they read:

Does this Passage reveal any important IDEAS: About the nature of God or Ultimate Reality? About the nature of the world we live in? About our ultimate purpose and destiny?

Does this Passage reveal any ethical VALUES: How we must treat other people? How we should treat ourselves? How we ought to treat our world?

Does this Passage reveal any spiritual PRACTICES: Any warnings, or negative examples to avoid? Any promises, or positive examples to imitate? Any techniques for peaceful and meaningful living?

Note that this is not necessarily an attempt to find the "author's original meaning" or the precise historical context of the text (although these are both helpful to this process). Rather, this is a spiritual reading of the text which attempts to find the spiritual meaning, ethical significance, and practical applicability of a text. 

With these questions in mind, I would like to apply this kind of reading to a text that is foundational and even "scriptural" for a school community: The Alma Mater. I work at TMI - The Episcopal School of Texas. T.M.I. stands for "Texas Military Institute", which is the older name for our 125 year  old school. TMI Episcopal is a college prep school, grades 6-12, with superb programs in spirituality, academics, athletics, arts, and an optional Corps of Cadets. We try to help good students become great human beings. One of the "local scriptures" which is sacred to our community is the TMI Alma Mater. It goes like this:

On our city's border
Reared against the sky
Stands our Alma Mater
Dear old TMI
We swear allegiance
Orange and black held high
Hail to the colors:
T.M.I.

When TMI scripture speaks of "on our city's border" this can be seen as an allusion to Augustine's "Civitate Dei". Although we are inhabitants of the "City of God" which is ruled by the Virtues of Love, Compassion, and Justice, we live on the border with the "Earthly City" which is ruled by the vices of selfishness, envy, and greed. The "liminal" nature of our role as educators and students is to call people out of the Earthly City into the abundant life and full human flourishing of the City of God. As we shine the Light of Hope into the darkness of the Earthly City, we reveal the hollow and empty nature of the Consumerist regime which promises fulfillment through endless accumulation of material goods and experiences. We also reveal how this vain chasing after material gain ultimately empties us of our humanity, when we use and abuse others as tools for our own gratification and success. As we live "on the border" with this dark and anarchic city, we are called to proclaim the words of Jesus: "What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and yet forfeit their soul"?

Thus, we live a life that is "reared against the sky". To be "reared" is to stand up like a stallion, alert and powerful and ready for action. The reference to "the sky" can be seen as an allusion to the teachings of Saint Paul: "You once lived [by] following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else." [Ephesians 2.2–3] Thus, our struggle "against the sky" is a struggle "against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." [Ephesians 6.12]. At the border of two Cities, we stand against the powers and principalities-- the spiritual and economic and social systems-- which degrade and destroy the children of God. We offer an alternative City in which we belong to each other, we respect the dignity of every human being, and we see the Light in all people.

But we do not stand alone. Alongside us "stands our Alma Mater". This is a symbol which can contain many levels of depth. At a surface level, it refers to the school of TMI, the institution which gives us support and structure to pursue our spiritual and intellectual struggles. At a second level, Catholic Christians look to the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother in Faith, because she is the "Theotokos": The Mother of God Incarnate. She stands beside us and intercedes with her Son on our behalf, to strengthen us in the struggle. In this sense the entire Church is also our Alma Mater, for the Church is also called "The Bride of Christ", and the Church is the Mother who nourishes us with the sacraments and the scriptures. The Church stands alongside us, praying for us and supporting us as well. At a third level, our Divine Mother, who gives birth to all worlds, and who has inspired the creation and continuation of TMI, is none other than the Spirit of God. This Holy Spirit is poured out from Jesus Christ into the hearts of all who struggle to live in Christlike Love. The Holy Spirit is our ultimate "Alma Mater" who gives us the strength we need to perform our mission of education and service to others.

Our TMI scripture continues to admonish us to action: "We swear allegiance: Orange and black held high". To "swear allegiance" is a call to total commitment to a set of values. To "hold them high" is a call to act in such a way that our actions embody these values over all other concerns in our lives. So, what are these Supreme Values that we are called to commit ourselves to, and act on? These values are symbolized by the colors orange and black. In many spiritual paths, orange carries the significance of "enlightenment", intellectual curiosity, and the pursuit of truth. From the orange robes of the Buddha, to the orange fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, to the orange flame of the Lamp of Learning: Orange represents our commitment to "fan the flame" of understanding and wisdom in ourselves and others. Black, on the other hand, is a color of mourning and sadness. Black reminds us of all the vulnerable people who are used and abused by the unjust structures of the world. Black reminds us of those who do not have access to the Light of Learning, the Light of Spirituality, and the Light of Hope. Black is a symbol of solidarity with those who are suffering, and a commitment to use our many blessings to bless them and help them find Light and Life and Love. And thus, orange can be seen as a symbol for the Light of Wisdom, and black a symbol of Compassion for those in darkness.

We finally end with the phrase "Hail to the colors: T.M.I." This reminds me of one of the most famous prayers of the Christian Church, the "Hail Mary". This prayer goes like this: "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus." For Mary, this was a powerful reminder that God was with her throughout all of her struggles and suffering, and that eventually what she went through would result in the birth of God's Life into the world. So also, "Hail" reminds us that our situation is similar in some ways to that of Mary: God is with us in all of our struggles and sufferings. And no matter how dark it becomes, or how Hope seems to be lost, our faithful work with God will have results. Our deeds, done with Wisdom and Compassion, will give birth to God's Life in the world too. 

Now, obviously this reading of the Alma Mater is miles away from the "original intent" of the text, and far beyond the social use of it at sporting competitions. But does that mean we shouldn't look for a deeper meaning in the text? If a community uses a text over and over to focus its attention and motivate its members, perhaps it is worth asking whether there is more to glean from that text than a "surface reading". Let the reader decide.