Date: September 7, 2021
I have enjoyed the summer of reading the contributions of others in the community in the Dean’s Commentary. The spread of thoughts and views has been fascinating. Perhaps the highlight was the return of the Bishop Payne Library into a newly renovated building (read here: 1, 2, 3), but that was a highlight among many interesting viewpoints and perspectives. Thank you to everyone who wrote for the Commentary.
The weather is quite lovely. There was a good turnout at the Labor Day Picnic. But we are all treading a little nervously. We are conscious that the hoped-for liberation from the pandemic back in June has been replaced with a certain carefulness. My summer cold (and yes it is, thanks to two COVID tests, one of which was a PCR test) means I have been navigating the world keeping my distance, and wearing a mask even more frequently. Fortunately, it appears to be coming to an end. My experience—getting a COVID-19 symptom, having it checked out, and coping with the result—will be repeated by many over the weeks and months ahead.
Let us enter this season realistically – aware of the complexity of our time. This too shall pass. And let us attend to what God can teach us as we live through this semester.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President