“Andrew Hutchison, the former Primate of the Anglican Church in Canada, tells of the time in his childhood—at six years old—when he was shipped off to a boarding school, due to the fact that his family life had fallen apart.* There he found himself lonely, unhappy, and homesick. He found solace, however, in the daily chapel he experienced at school, as well as the time he spent alone in that chapel, simply sitting there and gazing upon the window above the altar. The window depicted Jesus standing at a door, holding a lamp. The door, however, could only open from the other side—its opening was obviously dependent upon the person hearing the knock. Hutchison found himself imagining himself being on both sides of that door. On the one hand, he thought about letting the light into his life represented by Jesus and the lamp he held. On the other hand, he felt an affinity with being on the other side, standing there and knocking, particularly in those moments where he felt he did not belong at school. He wondered in such moments if someone would in fact open the door; would someone let him in?

During these initial weeks of school, we need to remind ourselves of the fact that many people—students and adults alike—enter our doors wondering if they will fit in, if they will find a place for themselves in this school. As Atul Gawande told graduates at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this past spring, the search for meaning in life is as much a search for a place as an idea, a place where the door indeed opens for all of us. We seek not only a place of welcome but also a place where we can contribute.

In ways small and large, in places such as the classroom or athletic field or the dining room, we seek to cultivate communities of welcome, where the door opens to so many. Statistics tell us just how crucial these initial weeks can be for people in determining whether or not this is a place where they feel a sense of belonging. Fewer and fewer people seem willing to wait it out and take the long-term view on finding a place.

Few things are more fundamental to our identity as Episcopal schools as the culture of belonging that we seek to develop. It is hard work, but the benefits are immense for those on both sides of the door. It turns out that, in opening that door, we are more than being gracious—we are letting the light into our lives.

*You can see Archbishop Hutchison tell this story at http://www.portraitsinfaith.org/andrew-hutchison/. My thanks to Alexis Kent, Middle School Chaplain at Breck School (MN) for directing me to this video.”