On Friday, August 11, the Donum Dei faculty and staff gathered in the school’s conference room to worship our Lord and Savior and ask for God’s blessings on the new school year. For over three decades, I have met with teachers and administrators at the beginning of the year to engage in corporate worship and dedicate the new school year to bring glory to God alone. During this time, I deliver a Head of School address in which I attempt to inspire and challenge them with an annual theme based on Scripture. The purpose of the annual theme is to reinforce our calling as Christian educators and provide a special focus for the new school year. The annual theme that I suggested we adopt is, “Working for the Peace and Prosperity of the City” based on Jeremiah 29:7 (NLT): And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.
As I have learned more about the Bay Area and the unique place that Donum Dei occupies in this community, the words of the prophet, Jeremiah, kept coming to mind as I prayed and contemplated this year’s theme. While it is an exaggeration to say that Christians in San Francisco are like exiles in Babylon, the message God gave to his people through the prophet contains truth that applies to his people today. Believers are called to be a blessing in the community in which they live. Our neighbors should see us as an asset, not a liability. Our words and deeds should reflect the reality of our redemption. Jesus preached this in the Sermon on the Mount when he described his followers as “salt and light.” I believe that Donum Dei is called to not only educate young people, but to be “...like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14 NLT).
Won’t you join the Donum Dei faculty and staff in living out our annual theme, “Working for the Peace and Prosperity of the City?"
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