God is at the center, and all glory and honor belong to him. He comes first, others second, I am third.

The center of all things is love, because God is at the center, and God is love. Our supreme human perfection lies not in our reason or our righteousness, but in our coming to share in the divine life through the freedom of grace. This is a distinctively Christian vision, that only in Christ are we saved from all the ways we have spoiled and ruined the beautiful image of God imprinted on each of us. And only the discovery of this gigantic secret of undeserved salvation can set us free to live in love. Such a life of love is caught more than it is taught: schools can be places where charity grows like a garden.

Students who have found this sort of love will take the log out of their own eye before blaming others; apologize genuinely and quickly; turn the other cheek; greet each day with peace of soul and the conviction that God’s gracious will governs all; cultivate thankfulness and weed out grumbling; know that no one can ever deserve a sunset or earn a shooting star; live in wonder and praise; and seek more to serve than to be served.