The Gustavus Board of Trustees met last Friday. For the first time in the history of the College, the Board held a regular meeting and conducted business through a video conference instead of meeting face-to-face. This Thursday at 2:30 p.m., I invite you to join me for another virtual first — this time for our spring all-employee meeting. I hope you can tune in for a campus update, thoughts on the path ahead, and questions via Zoom (link sent via email). If you have questions for the meeting, you can submit them ahead of time to Jolene Christensen via email.
While the Board meeting Friday was not the same as being together in person, the sense of community, commitment to support Gustavus during this difficult time, and belief in a positive future were clearly present all around the virtual table. We are fortunate to have such talented and caring leaders guiding us and making thoughtful decisions as we navigate this COVID-19 pandemic together. I am happy to tell you that the Board has our back.
David Lose, Gustavus Trustee and Senior Pastor at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church, opened the Board meeting with devotions based on Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians in the New Testament. His message, which stuck with me all weekend, focused on the importance of having hope in times of uncertainty. Right now, we are all living in a world that is filled with uncertainty, and that is our inescapable reality. We cannot wish uncertainty away by ignoring it or expressing blind optimism. We must learn to cope with uncertainty, and Pastor Lose stressed that hope is the key. Hope helps us see beyond the current circumstances and have confidence in a positive outcome. Having hope means having courage to face risk and take action. Having hope means encouraging others, or, in other words, instilling courage in others. Being hopeful means that we can be a beacon of hope to others by demonstrating courage, confidence, and compassion.
Thank you, Pastor Lose. What a timely and powerful message for all of us. While I do not have all the answers, nor can I make promises about what will happen next, what I can tell you is that I am hopeful. When feelings of anxiety or fear creep into my mind, I remind myself that I have hope, and that gives me courage and confidence to tackle the challenges in front of us. I encourage you to find and nurture the seed of hope inside you and be a beacon of hope to others.
Yours in community,
Becky