Unity in diversity points to the Trinity

Dear parents and students, the diversity of our school community is a treasure because not only are all of us are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), the immensity of the diversity showing us how great God is, but it also teaches us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to (Romans 12:3): we, finite creations, are made by an infinite Creator.

The national language weeks we have celebrated in New Zealand this term remind us that the complexity of different languages, and how we use it to express our thoughts, observations and feelings, have God’s design written all over it – it glorifies Him. It is also a sobering reminder that, at some point in ancient history when everyone was speaking the same language, mankind wanted to prove that they don’t need God (Genesis 11:1-9). This act of rebellion prompted God to step in, for mankind’s own protection, and ‘confuse’ their communication by sovereignly introducing many different languages in an instant.

Our diversity is a treasure because it reminds us who God is, who we are, and why we need His grace and mercy.

We know that the Good News, ‘for God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John 3:16), is for everyone, no matter what our cultural background is or what language we speak. On the day of Pentecost the people in Jerusalem, from different parts of the world, heard Jesus’ disciples speak in their heart language as the Holy Spirit enabled them (Acts 2). In The Revelation, the apostle John describes an amazing scene in heaven, saying ‘a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:9-10). The Good News is for all of us!

So, the past ten weeks I have tried reminding our students on a weekly basis

• that God has made them;
• that He has made them for a purpose;
• that bad things happen because this world has been ‘broken’ due to mankind’s sin;
• that we all need Jesus as our Saviour;
• that God does not abandon a follower of Jesus, working all things ‘together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose’ (Romans 8:28);
• that the new identity I get when I accept Jesus’ sacrifice for me, enables me to live a fulfilled life despite my circumstances.

We specifically looked at the examples of Arthur Jackson, a British medical missionary who volunteered to serve among poor day-laborers in Shenyang amidst the devastating pandemic in northeast China and southeast Russia during the coldest months of 1910-11, and Eric Liddell, the Olympian who put his trust and faith in God before worldly recognition and pursuits. It is my hope that our students will be inspired by these examples of radical selflessness to the glory of God – it is the best way to live!

I am so grateful to serve alongside such a great team of staff members. Our staff members have modelled radical selflessness to our students this term by not only swiftly adapting to the challenging modality of remote learning at the start of Week 4, and faithfully checking in and encouraging their students during that time, but also switching back to face-to-face learning and once again helping and encouraging our students to find their ‘school rhythm’ from Week 7 onwards – despite the health and safety constraints of Alert Level 2! Above all, the staff and I are grateful to God for the way He has equipped and provided for our school community this term. We serve a faithful God!

We will continue to pray for you. Be encouraged: God is our Saviour, Protector and Provider. We hope that you will be able to have an enjoyable time as a family this school holiday.

Barend Blom

Principal

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash