Blessings to You in This Season of Light (and Darkness)

Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,

As we move through the season of Advent, those who are Catholic prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, the light that shines in the darkness. Even for members of our university community who are not Christian, the idea of celebrating light is meaningful—especially in December, and especially in Seattle, where daylight continues to shrink for the next few days.

Many cultures and religious traditions find ways to bring light into the long, dark winter nights. At a university, especially a Jesuit university, the symbolism of light goes beyond the seasons. The Book of Wisdom tells us that the light of wisdom never goes out. It is the light we seek for ourselves and for our students.

And yet, even as we seek the light, we must also acknowledge the gift of darkness. Just as we need light to grow, we need rest from it as well. In her poem Eye Mask, Denise Levertov reminds us of the spiritual value of darkness:

In this dark I rest,
unready for the light which dawns
day after day,
eager to be shared.

Black silk, shelter me.
I need
more of the night before I open
eyes and heart
to illumination.

I must still
grow in the dark like a root
not ready, not ready at all.

Like a seed beneath the soil, we often grow in darkness before we are ready for the light. Just as important, as Levertov points out, growth comes when we admit that we are “not ready, not ready at all,” that we do not have all the answers. That humility is what motivates our continued search for wisdom.

Still, when the world feels heavy with darkness, the news alone can make hope seem distant. The horrific shootings this past weekend, in Australia—targeting our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrating their own festival of light—and at Brown University, may tempt us to despair. At Seattle University, we join people of good will everywhere in prayer and seeking consolation for those killed and injured in these and in all senseless acts of violence that weigh heavily on our world as we approach year’s end.

In these moments, it becomes especially important to seek out the light that remains around us. St. Ignatius assures us that when we look for such moments, we will find them—and find reason for gratitude. And for us, we find that light in the people of Seattle University and the work we undertake together.

May the light we seek and the hope we share bring us all deep peace, joy, and abundant blessings throughout this holiday season.

- Eduardo