Dear JWC family and friends,
December is a month that many of us celebrate with joy as “the most wonderful time of the year!” And John Witherspoon College has much to celebrate! We celebrate everyone who has partnered with JWC and supported us throughout this year. We celebrate the end of our Fall semester and the teaching and learning that has taken place. We celebrate our students hard work not only in the classroom, but also in the community. We celebrate three new full-time students starting this Spring. And yes, we celebrate the a break between semesters as well!
Of course, the most important celebration in December is the remembrance of Immanuel, God with us. The profound mystery that the God of all Creation, Holy and Transcendent, would come to this fallen planet as a frail human, born to a lowly estate, and abide with us. On that night 2,000 years ago, the world changed and mankind could embrace Hope!
Yet while many of us celebrate in this season, many others find December a sad time where they struggle with depression and loneliness. They see celebrations from which they are excluded. They feel guilt at not providing for their families as much as they may hope or desire. They see others with loved ones while they feel unloved.
It is the same month for all of us, but it is indeed a different season. And what makes the difference is the reality of Hope. There really is no reason to celebrate for those apart from the Christ, because they cannot see the joy of Immanuel. But for those of us in Him, we have the immeasurable Hope that comes not only from Jesus having come to redeem this world on the cross, but also from the promise that He will return to join Heaven and Earth. It is this Hope that transforms not only December but each day into a cause for celebration and a remembrance of God with us.
This doesn’t mean that we will not struggle. December in particular is a challenging time for the college financially. JWC continues to rely on the generosity of those who support our mission to provide Christ-centered classical education for service to the church and the world. Will you pray with the JWC family this December (31 Days of Praise and Prayer) and ask God to provide the year-end donations and gifts needed to support the college’s ongoing work? Just as God provided Hope to this world in the most unlikely circumstances of a child in a manger, so too does He continue to provide Hope in the face of any and all of the circumstances we face, be they financial, spiritual, physical, or emotional.
As we enter into December and prepare to enter into a New Year, let us resolve to enter the coming year with Hope. Let us resolve to remember that the God who has blessed us to this point, has promised to continue to walk with us. Beyond that, let us resolve to not only retain our own Hope, but to share that Hope with others. That is what shepherds did after receiving a message of Hope and seeing the Christ child:
“When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child!” (Luke 2:17)
Can we, knowing that this Hope from the most unlikely source turned into the Triumph of Life in the most unlikely manner – a cross and a tomb, do any less? This season, celebrate the Hope of the Christ, and share the Hope of the Christ!
Merry Christmas! May God’s Joy suffuse all that you do this Season!
