A Message of Hope

By Richard J. Mouw, President

Like many kids, I always had a hard time sleeping during the night before Christmas morning. I would wake up at three or four o’clock, eager to go down to the living room to see the array of gifts under the tree. But I was under strict parental orders to stay in my room until daylight. And, they added, there were to be no lights on in my room either.

I did break the no-lights-on rule. I kept a flashlight handy and would read a book under the covers. But I was still eager for the daylight to come, and I will never forget the thrill of seeing the dark sky begin to turn various shades of blue, soon to be followed by signs of the morning sun.

These days, like many others, I await a different kind of dawn. The naïve excitement of childhood is gone, and I worry much about the darkness that for many people in the world seems unending: the harsh nights of hunger, depression, financial worry, disease; the terrifying sounds of gunfire and bombs bursting in the night.

But Christmas still brings rays of hope. Just as I could confidently await the signs of daylight outside my bedroom window as a child, I now can see, with the eyes of faith, signs of a much brighter dawn—as expressed in these words from the Christmas hymn “O Holy Night”:

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

I hope that we can all hear the good news that the angels announced to the shepherds on a dark night long ago. God has sent a Savior, and he took upon himself all of the worries and temptations and sufferings that come into our lives. Because of what he has done, we have seen “the dawn of redeeming grace.” Keep looking in hope. The full light of God’s glory is coming!

Read more Christmas reflections from Fuller faculty, alumni/ae, staff, and students.