Our New Year’s greeting to our readers traditionally takes the form of a reflection from one member of the campus community. It’s always interesting to see the tack they take, and the form they choose varies from year to year, too. We’ve run think-pieces, poems, mini-homilies … and, this year, a letter. For our 2017 greeting, we invited new Protestant chaplain Derek Elkins to weigh in, and he chose to write this letter to his future self. It’s an inspiring idea, a new kind of next-year accountability for the resolutions we set this year. A happy new year to you all!
Roots in faith prepare the way for a fruitful new year
As 2017 begins to unfold, Derek Elkins (Emmaus Center for Spiritual Life & Vocation) is keeping his sights on the year to come. Where might he find himself – and his family, his ministries, his world – 12 months from now? In this letter from Derek to Derek, he puts that very question to his future self, for later review. For now, Elkins resolves to let the fruits of the spirit continue to take root in his heart. With Elkins, we send our warmest wishes that 2017 will be a similarly blessed year for you and for all our readers in the worldwide community of St. Norbert.
Dear 2018 Me,
How’s the weather in the future? I hear it’s warmer. I’m taking time to write you a letter so that you’ll know I care. I hope you’re healthy and that the guinea pigs aren’t making such a mess on the floor.
I know I haven’t thought much about you in a while and I’m sorry for that. There’s a lot happening these days; I’ve got a million thoughts and questions about what life and the world will look like a year from now. First of all, I hope you’re still working as Protestant chaplain at St. Norbert College. What a wonderful place! It’s rare to find a community in which people so naturally cultivate a deep sense of belonging and well-being. I hope you’ve been able to quiet the restlessness that crops up from time to time. The grass is only as green as you make it.
And how’s the family? How’s Noah? Is he still loving art? How’s it going trying to celebrate his effort and enthusiasm rather than his accomplishments? All good things begin small, and many stay that way. And Kathleen? Does she still love teaching? Have you gotten any better at keeping your advice to yourself? (Sorry for all of the advice in this letter!) I mentioned the guinea pigs already; I hope you’re giving them plenty of hay and not too much sugar. You remember what happened with the first one.
It’s an uneasy time in America. It seems like everybody’s either angry or scared. Have you invested in friendships with people who have different views from your own? I know that’s not easy or normal, but it really seems like it would be a rich way to practice what you preach. We’ve got a lot in common with the neighbors even though they voted for someone else. I think I’ll ask how these political shifts we’re experiencing give them hope. Maybe we’ve got some common ground.
Are you still working to offer college education to incarcerated people? I hope you’ve made some headway at Brown County Jail. There have been small but significant reforms to the criminal justice system over the last few years. I know you’re working and praying to keep those a priority. What’s a teenager supposed to do when public schools aren’t supported, jobs don’t pay a living wage, and there’s so much hate speech all around? Incarceration is the result of a thousand broken systems, you know? Reconciliation is a labor of a thousand small steps, but so is dancing the cha-cha-cha. Keep taking small steps.
Well, I want you to know that whatever you’re up to, I love you. I don’t say that enough, and sometimes I don’t think enough about your needs and interests. I’ll keep trying to let the fruits of the Spirit take root in my heart so they’re a little more secure for you. I’ve got a big hug ready whether you think you deserve it or not. See you next year!
Your friend,
Derek Elkins
Derek Elkins joined the St. Norbert College community during the Fall 2015 semester to support the spirituality of students from Protestant denominations. Derek has served as a minister for youth and college students and also worked in admission for the Theological School at Drew University. In addition to his ministry at St. Norbert, Derek works with NJ-STEP at Rutgers University to administer the college courses offered in the state prisons of New Jersey. He is currently in conversation with Brown County Jail and Green Bay Correctional Institute to explore possible partnerships between local northeast Wisconsin correctional facilities and colleges.
Derek is married to Kathleen Gallagher Elkins (Theology & Religious Studies).
Jan. 3, 2017
