A Rich Weaving

If you were to come to see Tim Argall in his office one day, on the way in you would see these words displayed prominently on the wall:

There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!

It’s a quotation from the Dutch theologian, educator and politician, Abraham Kuyper, and it sits at the heart of how we, as a community of parents, children, teachers and all other staff engage in Christian education.

This concept – that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that sits outside the reach of Christ – has come up in many conversations I’ve had recently with people who’ve been connected with Donvale Christian College for many years – some from our very earliest days.

In preparation for our Year of Jubilee celebrations in 2025, I’ve been recording video interviews* with past students, past parents and past staff. They’ve told me stories of muddy paths and prickly bushes; of working together to build the first classrooms; of lessons both academic and personal. We’ve wondered how to study the principles of flight in a Biblical context when the Bible doesn’t have much to say about aircraft. (Hint: the laws of mechanics and aerodynamics are built into creation). And sometimes painful recollections have brought us to the edge of tears.

Back to that quote from Abraham Kuyper. If there really is no square inch over which Christ does not declare His lordship, then that includes the messy bits, the pain, the disagreements, the dark days when it all goes wrong.

Paul puts it perfectly in his letter to believers in Rome, who, let’s face it, probably weren’t exactly enjoying the sunny uplands of peace and prosperity:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Our history, I’m discovering, isn’t perfect. Of course it isn’t – we’re a bunch of forgiven sinners, not (yet) sanctified saints. But throughout all that, as we submit – sometimes reluctantly! – to Him, so He weaves our story, to bring Him glory.

There’s a poem called The Weaver, by any number of people including anonymous, depending on which webpage you read, which includes this verse:

The dark threads are as needful

In the weaver’s skilful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

The rich pattern of Donvale Christian College which God has woven, and continues to weave, will be what we shall be celebrating in 2025 – 50 years of God’s grace to us as a school community.

*And we’ll start sharing some of those video recollections during next year as we prepare for our Year of Jubilee.