Veselé Vánoce!

Czech theologian, Tomáš Halík, said something that about hope that suits 2020 well from the perspective of faith: He said that hope was not the belief that “things will turn out alright”; hope is the ability to ‘reinterpret’ even things that “don’t turn out alright.” Following Halík’s encouragement to embrace reality, one that this year has involved some disappointment and grief alongside gladness and joy; we think the pandemic has given us all the opportunity to exercise this kind of hope.

This Advent season we have been enjoying the prayers from “Every Moment Holy” over dinner, connecting with colleagues and students at the university, practicing a little Sabbath over candlelight, and missing friends and family back in the U.S. We are thinking of you and wishing you rest and peace this season.

Veselé Vánoce,

Josh, Anna, Collier, Caleb, Joseph and Abigail