I recently received a little Christmas gift that had a beautiful, framed quote perfect for this time of the year, especially for the time in which we find ourselves as a global community: “Where there is hope, there is faith. Where there is faith, miracles happen.” Somehow, at Christmas each year, we seem in particular need of hope, faith, and a few miracles. As I read the news each day and listen to the fear that has crept into our thoughts and minds as a result of hate-filled actions, I think we need a miracle or two to bring peace, harmony, and understanding of people who may be different from us. Extremism cannot be allowed to define who we are. And yet, fear has captured our hearts and minds on too many occasions.

As an Episcopal school, we have the opportunity, a mission really, to make a difference, even in our small corner of the world. We celebrate our diversity and live into that on many levels. We try to be a welcoming and inclusive community, listening and learning from each other. We model that for our students and for each other through our hospitality and by maintaining open minds and open hearts, even when we have different backgrounds, traditions, or thoughts. Our differences are not to be feared because fear then eliminates hope, faith, and the opportunity for miracles to happen. Our Episcopal identity allows us to be bold and to have courage as we model a different way to treat one another. Love trumps all.

The news around us is bad right now. The news is scary. It makes you want to simply pull the covers over your head and stay in bed. Our faith, however, invites us to have hope always, believing that tomorrow will be better, believing that miracles do happen and our fear can be relieved. Perhaps that’s the miracle of the Christmas season. As we retell the Christmas story, we hear of a young couple turned away from many doors. A stable serves as their place of rest for the night, and a miracle happens that changes the world.

So I’ll choose to keep the faith, not lose hope, and believe that miracles still do happen. Perhaps through the good works that our students and community do to put fear aside, we can be a part of the change we want to see happen in the world. That’s my Christmas wish, one that keeps my hope alive.

Margaret Moore

Head of School