The story is told about a man who was stranded in a desert. He was lost and dehydrated. As he crested another dune, he feared the old shack he saw was merely a mirage, but with his last energy, he stumbled to it. He looked around and saw a rusty, dirty water pump. He started pumping but was dismayed when there was no result. Then he saw an equally old and filthy jug of water with a cap on it. Wiping away the dirt on the jug, he read the inscription: “Pour out all the water in this jug to prime the pump! P.S.
Fill the jug before you leave.” The water gushed out and saved the man’s life.
The St. Thomas community this spring has had two public events that have been both tragic and community building – the accidental death of student Josh Gunderson and the disappearance of student Dan Zamlen. In both cases, the St. Thomas community has reached out to give support to their families and friends.
In a community that cares, there always seems to be that reservoir of kindness to get the pump of help flowing again.
It makes me unabashedly proud of our Campus Ministry team, our Student Affairs team, the classmates and friends of these two students, our Public Safety team, our Food Service team . . . the list goes on and on.
It seems we have the ability to prime the pump at any point to get things flowing.
What a blessing to be part of the St. Thomas community!
