Dear JWC family and friends,
We look at Christmas having already seen the Christ’s victory. But the first celebrations of the birth of
the Christ did not have that vantage. They were not celebrations of triumph, but rather of hope. The
triumph of the empty tomb would come, but the shepherds on that first night had to rely on hope,
trusting that the victory would come from the small, frail baby that they beheld. While the victory over
sin has been won, we still struggle in this world until the Victorious King returns again. In other words,
even now, we still rely on hope.
As we close our Fall 2023 semester at John Witherspoon College, we do so with a myriad of emotion:
happiness at the new students we have had, fatigue at the burdens and labors that we have sought to
diligently complete, exaltation at opportunities seized, and sadness at opportunities missed. But in all
of this, we close the semester with hope. Hope for the next semester, and hope for the ongoing
mission of John Witherspoon College.
Hope, however, is not mere ephemera. Hope has a confidence and an expectation. Hope has hands
and feet. So when I say we have hope, I do so knowing that we must continue forward with diligence
and faithfulness. Diligence to do the hard work of bringing absolutely vital Christian education to this
region, and faithfulness to be unwavering in our convictions and principles. It is a heavy burden, but it
is a necessary one. It is also a burden that we cannot bear alone. Right now, hundreds of Christian
institutions across the country are being forced to close their operations because of a lack of financial
support or to compromise their convictions to receive outside aid.
John Witherspoon College will not surrender our convictions. This creates a crushing financial burden,
but it is my hope that you – in this time of reflection on the greatest gift the world has ever received –
will stand alongside us. If you share in the hope for rigorous yet Christ-centered learning, revival of
Christ-centered living, or the rise of Christ-centered leaders in our nation, then please consider how
you can help John Witherspoon College. We hope you will.
But as important as your support is for the college’s success, far more than that we hope that you will
remember the truth behind the holiday that we celebrate, the blessing and gift of God’s presence. That
He chose to walk among such as us is unfathomable. But it is that unfathomable mystery that allows
us hope in this season and always. May God bless you as you remember our Living Hope, the Lord
Jesus Christ.
“When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us … so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-5a, 7 NASB)