Christian Leaders

While in Nashville last month, I read an interesting article in the Nashville newspaper,"The Tennessean" (March 29, 2009). It was written by Dr. Dan Boone, president of Nashville's Trevecca Nazarene University, and entitled, "Universities must give the nation leaders it needs."

Dr. Boone begins with these words, "The world we live in is broken. Irresponsible consumption and unlimited greed have become habit; self-pursuit trumps the common good; and social structures are crumbling for lack of leaders who possess character."
That is a pretty good description of our present condition.

His basic premise is that schools of higher education must become forces for developing men and women of character. In fact, he says that because the taxpayers of America help young people achieve college educations through government grants and loans, it is "incumbent upon universities to repay their debt to the public by giving the world graduates who serve the common good."

He goes on to make a very important point: "If the college experience produces a generation of students who are proficient in alcohol comsumption, sleep deprivation, plagiarism, sexual exploitation and winning at any cost, then we deserve the world we have created by funding college education. And if a young graduate simply knows how to make a living, but not how to live, then we have succeeded in further impoverishing the world. To give the world knowledge without wisdom is to fail at our calling as mentors and educators (itallics mine)."

I guess this article is even more important to me in light of my recent college reunion. I went to a small church-related college and some might say that my education would certainly not be as comprehensive as at a large college or university. The opposite, however, was the case. I went from college into a rather large seminary and found that many of the students there, who had attended large universities, were not at all happy with their experiences. In fact, most of them did not feel their education prepared them for life in general, nor pastoral work in particular.

My college experience was one of academic challenge, but it was much more. I really believe that my education allowed me to grow in wisdom as well as in knowledge - for that I am eternally grateful.

If you are planning on attending higher education soon, or have a child considering college or university - consider Boone's words, "they (students) must be matured in a setting where morality matters, and they must be given mentors who serve the public good as the passion of their life."

Just Thinking. What do you think?

Reunions and Friends

Reunions are special events. I just got back from a wonderful weekend at my college reunion in Minot, ND. I guess the only downside was that there were a lot of OLD people there - don't remember my classmates being so much older than me!!!

You can be sure of one thing being present at the reunion of a Bible College - great singing. We had it in abundance, and I feel refreshed and empowered from all of it. It is great to go to a reunion and leave being spiritually refreshed as well as experiencing the joy of seeing old friends.

I started college 40 years ago and graduated 36 years ago. Many of those I saw this weekend, I had not seen for most of those 40 years. What a joy it was to see some of my "buddies" after all that time and pick up conversations as if we had never been apart. That is one of the ways you can tell real friends - time does not separate. I have found that to be true in my Army life as well - my real friends and I can pick up our conversations and relationships immediately. That was certainly my experience this past weekend.

I truly value those type of friends. My wish is that all of you can have friends like that - they truly make life worth living! Thanks, friends. You know who you are.

Just thinking.