As my time at United Lutheran Seminary comes to a close, I cannot help but reflect on the experience. While I am certainly looking forward to NOT having assigned readings, papers, projects, etc., I will miss much about my time back in school. First and foremost will be the time spent with professors and fellow classmates laughing, crying, sharing, and discussing God and our place in God’s kin-dom. But I have to admit that I will actually miss aspects of the discipline and intentionality of required readings. As much as I enjoy reading in general, I know that I never would have engaged with half as much material on my own as I have over the last four years.
I am extremely grateful for the depth and breadth of knowledge to which I was exposed in seminary. I have heard that many seminarians have a crisis of faith once they begin their classes because they are exposed to ideas that challenge what they took for granted about their relationship with the Bible and God. Fortunately, that was not my experience at all. My faith has only gotten stronger as I’ve encountered more and more diversity. I understand how one can find comfort in simplicity—sitting on the front porch watching the rain; settling in for the evening with a nice bowl of mac ‘n’ cheese; walking through the park with a loved one—but when it comes to knowledge and understanding, simple and unquestioning just doesn’t work. We live on a big, beautiful world, part of an immense solar system in an even more immense galaxy in an almost incomprehensible universe. And all of it was created by an unfathomable God whom people have attempted to assess for thousands of years, but who only ever reveals a miniscule portion of God’s self to us. That may seem daunting, but to me it is awe inspiring.
Our God is an awesome God who defies all explanation, yet invites us to speculate. Faith is not found in understanding God. Faith is found in recognizing that God is beyond human comprehension but never ceasing to try our best to figure out as much as we can. When it comes to learning, the journey is truly more important than the destination. So, as I leave ULS and this part of my journey, I look forward to what comes next and encourage you all to proceed with open eyes, open ears, and an open mind.
Watch, Listen, and Learn. Then Carry On!
2nd Chronicles 1
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 8 Solomon answered God, …10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people”