Reflection for Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
IS 40:25-31
PS 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10
MT 11:28-30

He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound. (IS 40:29)

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. (MT 11:28)

I would love to believe that it is more than just serendipity that these readings fell on the first day of final exams. I have talked to a lot of people this week who could use some extra strength and even more people who are short on rest. Beyond just having a little extra push to make it through finals, these readings feel counterintuitive to me -- trying to challenge a culture that is so mired in violence and devaluation of human life invites getting a few bruises along the way.

Last week SLU lost a giant of our campus and our city. Dr. Norm White, a professor of criminal justice, passed away suddenly last Wednesday night. Not only was Norm much beloved by his colleagues and students, he was both deeply engaged in racial justice work in the city and internationally known as an expert on interrupting the school-to-prison pipeline. Norm worked with a number of students to found the Overground Railroad to Literacy, which challenged SLU students to get out of the campus bubble and engage with students in public schools across the north half of the city. What began as tutoring for younger students has become both a real-world education for our students and an avenue for elbow-to-elbow work for justice with people whose circumstances have been saturated by poverty and racism. Norm was tireless in promoting better practices in classrooms for students who have grown up in deeply traumatic circumstances, hoping to reduce the school suspensions that leave students even more disadvantaged. Norm loved working at SLU because of the kind of students who are attracted to our Mission: students who are passionate about social problems and self-aware enough to know that one-off service days don't cut it. He loved that working at SLU gave him the resources and flexibility to be the kind of deeply engaged scholar that he felt called to be.

All of that looks to me like more work on our part, not less - but the readings don't suggest an end to the work, just the chance for rest. As we prepare to leave campus for the winter break, may we enjoy the rest that can enable us to continue doing the work of building the kingdom of God.