Following up on last Sunday’s post, Pepperdine, Fire, And God:
A Message from President Jim Gash to the Pepperdine Community:
The last few days have been a turbulent time in our community. Sirens wailing, fires blazing on the horizon and on our hillsides, multiple shelter-in-place orders—these were not the scenes any of us would have envisioned or hoped for to end our semester together.
While the saying that “turbulent times create character” contains truth, it does not tell the full story.
It is even more true that turbulent times reveal character. In the midst of difficulty, you do not have time to sit down and decide who you are—as a person or as an institution. Turbulent times simply pull back the curtain. They show, for better or for worse, what is already there.
Jesus demonstrated this principle powerfully in the parable of the two builders (Matthew 4:24-27). The house built on the rock and the house built on the sand looked very similar until the storms and the floods came. That was when one house stood firm and one house took a great fall. The turbulent weather revealed which house had a strong foundation and which did not.
I have been incredibly proud of—but wholly unsurprised by—the character that has been revealed in our community during this time of turbulence. …
As you move into the holiday season, I pray that God would grant you a time of peace, rest, and celebration with those you love. I pray that the joy and light of the Savior would fill your heart this Christmas. I pray that you return to campus refreshed, with your courageous and joyful spirit. It is you—our students, faculty, and staff—who make Pepperdine the unique place that it is.
When we return in the new year, we will continue to pursue knowledge and the search for truth in every aspect of life. We will continue to practice the genuine fellowship and deep joy that makes Pepperdine special. We will continue to love and support one another through every good time and every difficulty. It will not always be easy. But we will continue to rise to meet whatever challenges come our way.
With God’s help, we will continue to stand firm.
May the Lord keep you in his hand this December and bring you back to us safely in the new year.
Jim Gash
President and CEO, Pepperdine University
- Campus Safety, How Pepperdine University Protects Its Campus from Wildfires
- LAist, Pepperdine University Survived the Franklin Fire and Other Devastating Blazes. Campus Officials Aren’t Surprised
- Pepperdine Graphic, Franklin Fire Scorches Malibu, Pepperdine Hillsides
- Pepperdine Graphic, Franklin Fire: Timeline Lapse
- Pepperdine Graphic, Photo Gallery: Franklin Fire
Editor’s Note: If you would like to receive a weekly email each Sunday with links to faith posts on TaxProf Blog, email me here.
