A reading from the book of James: My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing...Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Good morning. For our new students, my name is Mason Lecky, and I am the headmaster of St. Christopher’s—That means I have the pleasure and good fortunate of working with all of you and with students, faculty, and families across our entire campus.

It has been said several times already, but I’ll say it again—Welcome Back. It is wonderful to gather with you in person, even in this adjusted manner.

As a community, we not only survived but thrived during our season of distance this spring and summer. I was deeply proud of how you, your classmates, and the entire St. Christopher’s community pivoted to a new form of teaching and learning, with hardly any notice. 

Still, we now know without any doubt that so much of what we offer here, so much of what makes our community distinctive, is our social and physical proximity, not our distance. And while we must abide by spacing, masking, and hygiene protocols in the months to come, we also know that an altered, even bizarre, in-person experience on our campus is superior to its alternative, a return to full and indefinite distancing.

We recognize that there are sacrifices in this new model of on-campus learning. It’s inconvenient to wear masks for much of the day, we know that free periods have been turned into proctored study halls, that we have incredible new facilities we want to allow you to use, including a new Recital Hall and new Community basketball courts, but for now all we can do is see them, not fully experience them. 

We also know that extracurricular activities, including the arts, athletics, clubs, and service, have, at a minimum, been compromised, and that cherished activities such as Homecoming, the Pep Rally, and other social gatherings have been put on hold.

There is loss and sadness in this compromise, and we should all acknowledge it.

However, I strongly suggest that each of us do the following, if you have not done so already. Let us shift our mindset from one that focuses on what we do not have into one that focuses on all that we are blessed to possess.

That is, let us focus on our abundance, not our scarcity. 

If you take a moment, each day, gentlemen, to focus on our blessings, starting with our simple presence and shared community on this gorgeous campus, surrounded by individuals who deeply care for you, I promise you that your mind will begin to think less about all that we have lost or will lose. Instead, you will find yourself thankful for what we do have, which is quite a bit and, relative to many schools and communities around the country, is really quite extraordinary.

And with our extraordinary privilege of on-campus learning, let us remember that there is also responsibility. 

Make careful note of the precautions and protocols we are taking as an institution with and for you 10 hours per day, Mondays-Fridays. We encourage you—No, we implore you, to take comparable precautions in your out-of-school lives on the evenings, weekends, and holidays. For if we are cautious and wise here on the St. Christopher’s campus but reckless and imprudent away from it, I fear that our time together will indeed be compromised and may end before it has truly begun. 

Behaving off campus just we are asking you to behave on campus is leadership, gentlemen—It is not necessarily fun, or easy, cool, or popular, but it is leadership, and it is what we expect of you.

Since we were last together some six months ago, many scholars and journalists have suggested that America is facing not one but two pandemics at the moment—The first a public health crisis caused by a novel virus, the second a reckoning of the racial injustice and divides that have existed in this country for centuries but, for too many of us, were either not fully visible or not worthy of our highest attention.

Since June, in particular, our nation, even the world, has been animated with protests, marches, dialogue, and forms of social activism not seen in this country since the late 1960s. 

For some, this activism comes as a welcomed and much-needed spotlight on an issue, racism and inequality, that has been a pernicious part of America since our founding. 

For others, the protests and disruption have been just that, disruptive, disconcerting, evidence of disrespect for authority, laws, and property, a disrespect that tears our country apart, rather than binds us.

Whatever your perspective on these issues and other headlines of this summer, I ask that we all do the following—

First, we must acknowledge that we all bring our own lens and viewpoint to these issues, largely informed by the lottery of our birth and our family’s value system and perspective. 

Second, while we must not all agree on every issue that we will surely discuss in the weeks ahead, at St. Christopher’s, we must speak with civil and respectful tongues. More importantly, we must listen, listen like we have never listened before, with open and loving hearts. 

And third, let us affirm here and now that the norms and values of this family, the St. Christopher’s family, will not permit hateful, prejudiced, racist, sexist, or any form of bigoted behavior or language—Language that is meant to demean or belittle someone simply for who he or she is, which, after all, is a child of God. 

And in that affirmation, let us acknowledge that while our school and community has long strived to be a beloved community, one that is hospitable and inclusive to all who call it home, let us be humble and gracious in confessing that we have not been perfect in this area, that we may have some blind spots worthy of attention, that this is ongoing, hard work, it is the Hard Right over the Easy Wrong, and that we will continue to strive to know, love, and celebrate each of us for who we are and for the varied and beautiful gifts we bring to this school, period. 

This is a tall order, gentlemen—To abide by new norms and discipline here on campus amidst a public health crisis and to love and to listen to each other, respectfully, amidst social upheaval centuries in the making. As we heard from this morning’s scripture reading, it will require endurance, faith, and perseverance, but with the promise of reward for those who endure this trial of our times. 

50 years from now, I can promise you that you will remember your freshman and senior years at St. Christopher’s in the historic year of 2020. 

And, I am confident, you will look back with pride on what we were able to accomplish, together. For there is no group I would rather be with than all of you, right here and right now. 

Amen.