大象传媒

A reflection and prayer to start the day with the Revd Dr Mark Clavier, Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon.

Good morning. Today is Charter Day. If you have no idea what that is, then you didn鈥檛 attend the College of William & Mary, founded by Royal Charter in Williamsburg, Virginia in 1693. It鈥檚 the second oldest university in America.

I was part of William & Mary鈥檚 300th anniversary class. The then Prince Charles spoke at our Charter Day celebration. We were promised Her Majesty the Queen at our graduation. Sadly, we ended up with Bill Cosby.

My College years were among my happiest. I used to value most the way my lecturers there taught me how to think critically. But as I鈥檝e grown older and perhaps wiser, I鈥檝e come to appreciate more its generous culture of wise learning. That culture went beyond just the liberal arts to include enduring friendships with fellow students and faculty members. The College was, in the finest sense of the word, a humane place where we were encouraged to fall in love with wisdom. I hope it still is.

Wisdom differs from mere knowledge, in part, by being oriented towards the good. It involves seeking to understanding things for the benefit of others. Thus to be wise is also to be good. I鈥檓 not saying I鈥檝e achieved such wisdom in my own life, but my four years at William & Mary taught me that one of the best ways I can be a Christian is always to reach for it.

Let us pray.
O Eternal God, bless all universities, that they may be lively centres for sound learning and the pursuit of wisdom. Grant that those who teach and those who learn may find you to be the source of all truth. Amen.