It's the end of election night. Some despair, some hope.
Today, the word hope comes to mind for two reasons. We need hope where there is despair. (Darkness where there is light).
I had the honor of observing/grading/judging the presentations of our 7th and 8th graders in Science today. Following NGSS, they were presenting engineering solutions to problems around campus. I was blown away by the quality and effort students had put in. (Not that there weren't issues). There were websites, videos, presentations, and prototypes. It was exciting to see our students - stultified at times by traditional expectations - being challenged in terms of their creativity and presentation.
Second, I thought of the Church itself. We are struggling. At the same time there is an exciting new cadre of leaders within the hierarchy and without who can - hopefully - balance the call to Truth and the call to Mercy. I feel our Church is divided between those two wings - veering from side to side as it seeks to find its path forward. Maybe this new leadership can change that and recognize the beauty of truth and the necessity of personal encounter and mercy, to balance the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Confession. I fear we struggle with that now. Regardless, those students I saw today are the future of our faith. It is in good hands.
