Director of Learning's Message

Mr. Barry Eugene Shealy

Holidays! Americans celebrate Thanksgiving Day at the end of November. We gather with our friends and families and take time to reflect on the many blessings God has granted over the past year. Those blessings are symbolized by a feast (traditionally including a large American gamebird called a turkey) and other pictures of harvest and abundance. French theologian, John Calvin, said that giving thanks is a precious privilege since we know God wants us to enjoy his blessings.

From Thanksgiving, we move to consider the ultimate source of our blessings. Advent is celebrated by Christians world-wide during the four weeks leading up to Christmas. It is a time of anticipation as we look forward to the coming of the Christ-child. Advent is a time of hope. Our hope is for rescue from our own imperfection and self-centeredness, endurance in the challenges of this world, and safety in the life to come. This hope is not empty but based on the truth of Jesus’ work for us.

Our hope coming in the form of a child is appropriate. Children are a sign of blessing in scripture (Psalm 127:3). The hope of Israel was seen in Zechariah’s prophetic image of streets full of children playing (Zechariah 8:5). I saw a similar vision as I traveled to Papua recently to visit SLH schools in the interior mountains. One Papuan father spoke of his joy and hope at seeing a school full of children. Not long ago, a very high infant mortality rate meant few children were seen. So, a school full of children was a sign to him of God’s blessing on Papua.

By God’s grace, SPH is experiencing a blessing as well. While moving from months of online school to hybrid is challenging for our teachers it is a great encouragement to again relate directly to students. We have endured a challenging time that is not completely over. We hope that, out of this experience, our students will develop resilience and the ability to be Flourishing Learners and Servant Leaders amid whatever future challenge they face. Our world needs principled, caring, risk-takers who have a Christ-centered desire to impact the world both locally and globally. And that is the vision of SPH.

I pray for health and safety for your family as you enjoy the holiday break from school. May our hope be strengthened as we meditate on the Christ-child and as we see the joy of the children and students around us.