I mentioned in a previous post that I was visiting Lynchburg, Virginia. What a lovely city filled with southern history and warm hospitality. Everything was in bloom festooning its seven hills and the cities surrounding curtilage with flowering Dogwoods, Black Cherry, Eastern Redbuds, Magnolias, and Azaleas.
I was there to speak at an event at the Virginia Episcopal School. It’s a college preparatory, coeducation, independent boarding and day school. Its campus is on 160 manicured acres that reminded me of sacred spaces I’ve visited in the past.
It is a place where you feel welcome the moment you enter the campus drive. Wandering lets you embrace a peaceful unseen energy that is familiar and comforting. The non-spiritual word would be “safe.”
The student body embraces elegance in dress and manners and the faculty exudes an enthusiasm for sharing their expertise without pomposity or pedantry. Learning here is a gift, not a chore.
These are trying times for young people. World events move faster than the comfort of the youthful mind can reasonably sustain. Students especially need context, not contention. They need the freedom of creative thought, not a prevailing penchant for contagious hate.
VES is an academic oasis. Congratulations!
No comments:
Post a Comment