By Yage Wang
The campus kindled the tallest pine tree in the front lawn on December 2nd. Students gathered with candles in their hands, witnessing a moment of ritual beauty, a moment of celebration for hope being born on the land. In the season of advent, the important message is usually forgotten. The beauty of advent is about waiting, expecting, and receiving.
Thousands of years before Jesus was born, the Bible had already foretold the befall of this gracious and merciful gift. In Isaiah 7:14, it says, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
Still, in 2021, it’s surprising that this verse carries profound love and blessings, which is far more than a cold revelation. Similarly, how can we write something hopeful for the future self? How can we manifest this blissful whisper of life to the next year? Amid the pandemic, writing is another expression that gives us time to polish and compose. In this advent, let’s start writing with “This year, ( ) was a great blessing to me. Next year, I hope ( ) will be a goal in my future.” Or, we can jot down our current status for the future self to review.
