From: David Kabanje
Date: April 12, 2022
Subject: GMU from Pr. Santi Fernandez



 

Good Morning Union

 

I used to be bothered by this daily expression, it holds a paradoxical tone.

 

When I think of “goodness” from a biblical perspective I think of Creation. The first use of ”good” comes very early in Scripture. In fact, very explicitly stated in just the fourth verse, of the first chapter, of the first book (”…And it was good.”) In the Old Testament “good” is a synonym for “beautiful”. God calls each day beautiful.

 

The word “Morning” is a synonym for grief.

For me, grief is the ultimate prosaic experience. An obstacle; I avoid it, hate it, and that is an understatement. That’s why I’ve sought guidance from a counselor.

 

I didn’t consider grief beautiful until I began healing. I’ve cultivated healthy grief to part ways with the temporal and embrace the eternal.

 

You are entering a season of grief. You may be saying goodbye to today. Perhaps you are abstractly grieving your departure from Union College. Maybe you’re grieving your youth, or you are grieving your schedule for the past few months, or more practically grieving the loss of someone precious to you.

 

Whatever you grieve today, remember two things; 1. You are not alone 2. Grief has seasons. Like the sun rises and sets— so will your grief. Hold to this eternal promise of a new day. “When night shall be no more and they will need not light nor sun, for God will be our light”(Revelation 22:5).

 

Grieve hard. Grieve fully. Goodness can exist in the presence of grief.

 

As a campus family, we grieve with you Force family, and stand with you. We love you.