A Candle in Darkness: Hope in our Christian School

At the first sight of snow a few weeks ago, two students approached me and asked about the chance that school would be cancelled the next day. A “snow day” was their hope, at least for the moment. It didn’t come to pass, and quickly passed out of their focus since it was only a short, momentary hope.

Contrast that with the hope of advent:

Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s Strength and Consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear Desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.

I remember advent in church as a child. The first candle of this annual tradition was the one that was most dramatic. I lived in northern BC, where late November and December where characterized by long nights and short, gloomy days. We craved light. My dad installed grow lights to keep house plants thriving. The burst of a lit match followed by the steady glow of a flame piercing the darkness was mesmerizing to me.

Advent begins with hope. Students, teachers, and parents all crave hope. We cling to the notion that our heart’s desires will be realized. We console ourselves with the hope that some situations will not last forever. We cope with some situations simply because others have given us hope even though we don’t see it or feel it yet ourselves.

We frame our understanding of the world and our place in it with the hope that comes from a long- expected Jesus. What a joy it is to know our students are being led in such deliberate, hope-filled paths on the road of faith as we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth. Praise the Lord for Christian education!

SJ