Dear School Families,
Consider all the change and loss you've passed through in the past 11 months.
Never before have you had to give up so much, because of COVID-19. You lost some of life's better pleasures, such as relaxing at length with your friends or relatives. You gave up some of your freedoms, by choosing to love your neighbor and wear a mask and distance. You still can't travel. You spend more time with yourself than you want. There's less human touch. COVID-19 seems to sap our sense of joy and hope. Sometimes God doesn't feel as close. The number of people who have died is too many to wrap your mind around.
As our nation became even more divided last year, you felt sadly distant from some old friends whose politics differ from yours. Many of us learned again that the history of racism remains a source of deep pain in our nation.
We're all tired of looking into screens, but you find the will to turn on the computer once again. We thought passing through COVID-19 would be a sprint, but it turned out to be a marathon. You've been strong for a very long time. The children tell me that, despite it all, you did try to safely reach out to family and friends. You found ways to keep occupied or to breathe some fresh air to stay somewhat positive. You became more comfortable with being alone. You prayed for those affected by the coronavirus. For all the changes you have managed, I say, “Well Done.”
Gracious God, Let our hearts, so often a sea of restless waves, find peace in you, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Jeremiah 29:11 “‘For I Know The Plans I Have For You’ Declares the Lord, ‘Plans to Prosper You and Not to Harm You, Plans to Give You Hope and a Future.’”
Pastor Strasser, Chaplain
The Rev. Dr. Arden Strasser has been Chaplain at St. Hilda's & St. Hugh's since 2017. He is also Pastor at Saint Luke's Lutheran Church in Times Square.
Pastor Strasser earned degrees from the University of Rochester, the University of Colorado, and the University of Natal, South Africa. He earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University. Pastor Strasser has also served on the boards of the Volunteer Missionary Movement and the American International School of Lusaka.