TO: Fall 2001 SPU Students

FR: Philip W. Eaton, President

RE: A Day Of Tragedy

DATE: September 11, 2001
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On this day of unprecedented tragedy for our country and the world, we lift up our hearts to the Lord. What else can we do? We lift up the families that have been devastated by death and destruction. We ask for God's comfort on those who suffer. We must rise above politics and ideology and lift up our president and the leaders of our nation. May God give them wisdom and clarity. This is a time our country must come together, and I have encouraged us to model that unity across the SPU campus.

I met early this morning with various campus leaders to discuss implications for our campus community. We concluded that the campus is safe and secure and that we have no reasons to close the campus at this time. We have, however, canceled athletic events and a prospective student program for this evening in deference to the enormity of this tragedy for so many. We gathered as a community at noon today for a prayer service to pray for the many families who are impacted by this national disaster and for the nation's leaders who must sort out what has happened and take appropriate actions.

At this point we expect that the opening of the SPU school year and the new student orientation activities will move forward as planned. Of course, we will continue to monitor issues, such as transportation, which directly affect you, and we will inform you should there need to be any changes to the opening of the school year. I encourage you to go to the SPU web page at //www.spu.edu/ or our Emergency Closure Hotline by telephone at (206) 281-2800 for up-to-date information about SPU as the impact of today's events unfolds over the next several days.

Let me say one final thing. We claim the promise that Jesus is the light of the world. John tells us that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will never overcome it. This is the promise. While we do not understand the enormity of evil in this heinous act, and while we are deeply troubled by darkness all over the world, we cannot lose hope that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness will not overcome. God bless each one of you and your families as you make final plans to arrive on campus in the next few days.

God bless our community as we seek to understand. God bless our nation as we grapple with a changed world. And may God bless all of his children all across the world. This is not what God wants for his children. Our calling is to engage the cultural roots of darkness and change the world in the light of God's flourishing grace.