Spark

It’s hard to believe that in just a few weeks a historic fall semester at Calvin will come to a close. And what a semester it has been! 

We were blessed to welcome nearly 1,200 new students, launch new master’s degree programs, and enjoy the sounds of a new marching band. And who will ever forget Calvin’s first official football season? 

There was energy and excitement at Calvin this fall, and we have much to be grateful for. 

Adding to that excitement was the un- veiling of many new spaces around our Knollcrest campus. The completion of the first phase of the Commons Union project revealed a remodeled Hekman Library, designed to enhance student learning and shared life together. Both an interactive virtual learning lab and a cadaver lab debuted in DeVries Hall for our health sciences students. Calvin athletics celebrated the dedication of the soccer stadium and the opening of an outdoor athletic building, complete with an incredible football locker room. 

Beyond the beauty and excitement of new structures, what means more is seeing how the community uses those spaces. Often while walking through the library or waiting for a coffee at Peet’s, I look around to simply take in the scene of students learning from each other and creating lifelong memories together. 

This past summer, I had the privilege of traveling to Seoul, South Korea, to spend time with some of our amazing alumni, current students, and the leadership team of our Calvin Alumni Association Korea Network. It was an incredible experience, and I’m deeply grateful for the beautiful hospitality our fellow Calvin alums showed me while I was on their side of the world. 

On more than one occasion, I had to re- mind myself that I was nearly 6,500 miles from Calvin’s campus. The culture and food were different, not to mention the sheer size of the city. Yet at one event, I was surrounded by nearly a hundred alumni and students. I felt right at home, warmly welcomed by new friends who all share a common Calvin connection. 

As with all my interactions with Calvin grads, I was blessed with new perspectives while in Seoul. It was meaningful to spend time there: seeing the world from a new vantage point, experiencing the hospitality of Korean culture, and most importantly, getting to know alumni at a deeper level in their own space. 

Physical space matters, but meeting people where they are and sharing life together matters even more, whether in a new study area on campus or halfway around the world sharing conversation over delicious Korean barbecue. 

As we turn our focus to celebrating the birth of our Savior, I marvel anew at God’s great love for us. God sent his Son into our earthly space to live with us and to give his life for us so that we might live forever with him—in his holy and perfect space. 

Gloria, in excelsis Deo!