Monday Reflections: Always We Begin Again

 “And finally, never lose hope in God.”
— The Rule of St. Benedict

Friends, happy Fall Semester! I pray this summer you found time to relax and renew. When I was a chaplain, I served in the president’s cabinet. From that experience, I know summers are not entirely relaxing for staff and administration. The last numbers are crunched. Decisions that are often delayed are made. The campus is prepared for student arrivals. Summer is not entirely a relaxing time. Summer is more of a realizing season. Not only do we gain a realistic picture of what we will find in the next few months, but it is also a time for staff and faculty to begin again.

The phrase “always we begin again” is an adaptation from the Rule of St. Benedict. In chapter 4, St. Benedict wrote to his monks about the tools they had for their work. Toward the end of the chapter, he calls them not to despair and to persist. Later interpreters of the Rule took this as an invitation to renewal and to set times aside to begin again.

Your campus has gone through a time of renewal. For that matter, every summer is a time of renewal. I hope you have also taken time this summer for renewal. I am not talking about a sabbatical, but a time when you spent time with yourself, finding ways to remind you of your true north. This could have taken the shape of taking on new practices like morning walks or artistic ventures. Perhaps you began a new spiritual practice or read an exciting book. Maybe you spent time with your family or found a new place to travel. These are things that can happen any time, so if you missed an opportunity to begin again this summer, it is never too late!

Some of you have begun to receive students. First-year students will be finding their way through campus. You will need to hold some of them by the hand as they discover who they are far from home. You will be welcoming them, not as customers, but as fellow humans in pilgrimage through this life. They are also beginning again.

This is my blessing for you:

May you welcome this new semester in hope,
                  Not because of fear of the unknown
                  But because renewal brings it about.
May you see every new face for what they are,
                  Not limiting them to a single narrative
                  But understanding that each life contains multitudes.
May your life together be grown in God
                  Who is the source of love
                  And who will not faint as God walks with you.

Please, remember, you are not alone. We are here for you.

Some of you have begun to receive students. First-year students will be finding their way through campus. You will need to hold some of them by the hand as they discover who they are far from home. You will be welcoming them, not as customers, but as fellow humans in pilgrimage through this life. They are also beginning again. Photo courtesy of University of the Pacific, a United Methodist-related school

Rev. Eduardo Bousson
Senior Manager, Collegiate Ministries
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
The United Methodist Church