If you have children or teens in your life, chances are you’ve heard them chant “six … seven” lately — usually accompanied by a cheeky hand gesture and a knowing smirk. It’s the latest meme sweeping playgrounds and group chats. No one quite knows where it started (TikTok? YouTube? A secret tween society?), but it’s catchy and, frankly, a little baffling for the adults around.
Yet for one parent, it sparked something unexpected: a reminder of Deuteronomy 6:7 — the verse where God calls us to teach our children His commandments. That’s right. Of all the numbers to go viral, this one just happens to echo a chapter and verse with a very specific parenting mission.
“You shall teach them (the Commandments) diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” — Deuteronomy 6:7
The words come just after one of the most beautiful declarations in Scripture: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” It's the follow up to the Shema Israel ("Hear, O Israel"), the center of Jewish prayer, reminding God's people that they are the ones chosen for the special revelation of God himself, as one God, as their Father.
It is the heart of the Catholic faith — and we’re told not only to live it ourselves, but to pass it on.
That can sound like a huge responsibility. And in a way, it is. As parents, godparents, or grandparents, we’re called to nurture not just our children’s bodies and minds, but their souls. But Deuteronomy 6:7 doesn’t ask us to do this through grand speeches or complicated theology. Instead, it encourages everyday, natural teaching — in the car, at breakfast, before bed, and even when they randomly shout “six-seven” in the living room.
This realization was noted on Facebook by Anne Stropes, who shared how she plans on using it with her children. In fact her post inspired us too. So what if we did exactly that? What if, every time our kids say “six-seven,” we gently responded with something like:
“Deuteronomy 6:7 — Don’t forget to love the Lord your God with all your heart!”
They’ll probably roll their eyes (after all, kids are contractually obligated to do this), but they’ll hear it. And in time, that playful link could become a quiet anchor — a verse stitched into their memories along with the meme.
In a world overflowing with noise, trends, and distractions, we don’t always get obvious openings to speak of faith. But sometimes, the most unexpected moments — a joke, a gesture, a meme — can become grace-filled opportunities.
So next time you hear “six-seven,” smile, and take the chance. You might be planting a seed that lasts far longer than any viral trend.
Deuteronomy 6:4-7
