Senior 30: Wisdom

I AM SO HAPPY right now! I am also full of In-N-Out, Tri-tip sandwich, and pumpkin cheesecake. Tonight was Homecoming and a bunch of former band members and alumni joined the marching band in the stands and on the field. It was awesome--so much fun. I love and miss playing sousaphone--"Jungle Boogie" and "Back in Black" and the fight song. And our football team won--which was an added bonus.

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EARLIER TODAY, I WAS not doing so well. During the weekends my schedule tends to be more lax. As a result of not maintaining the same rigorously disciplined routine that I do during the week, I get less sleep, get more headaches, and feel more sickly. I visited the LA Cathedral as part of an Art History class field trip today. The tour, itself, was very interesting, on a variety of levels, but it was difficult to appreciate because of my state of health.

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THIS WEEK HAS BEEN trying in other ways as well. Some highly divisive issues have arisen on campus in recent weeks. And I am trying to understand how I can contribute, constructively, in this situation.

The question of contributing (and how best to go about that) has actually been on my mind a great deal lately. In a future posting, I will describe a "balloon-metaphor of Christian ministry" and a "basketball-metaphor of Christian discipleship"--student metaphors (C.S. Lewis)--that I have been working on lately.

Over the last two weeks (working backwards chronologically) I sang as part of a mass choir for Dinner Rally; hosted a table at an Oxford semester informational meeting, answering questions and sharing my experience with those who are considering study abroad; attended a fascinating paper presentation on Open Theism; saw part of APU's Battle of the Bands in which some friends of mine performed, helped serve communion at Liturgical Chapel, and visited with a number of philosophy students and faculty at a pizza-movie gathering.

I am often very tired but am fully engaged in and excited about what I'm learning. At times, issues around the campus and in my own life can make coping difficult, but I continue to rely on God who faithfully renews my strength. Still, I find myself often seized by great anxiety and angst.* And as I turn to God, I find myself, again and again, in the position of the knight of faith.*

(*Both of these are rich philosophical concepts that I am coming to understand.)

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A FEW BRIEF REFLECTIONS:

(1) A year ago, in Oxford, I scribbled the following in my journal:

"Where are the teachers? Where is the man or woman who will take me by the hand and say, 'You are young, inexperienced, impetuous, and pretentious. Now be quiet and follow me.'
"Show me the road by which countless men and women in ages past have come at last to the celestial city. Show me the straight and narrow way.
"This game will not do--stumbling about in the dark, groping for something solid, searching for some reference point."

As I look at the controversies that seize the world and society and politics and academia, I think that there is an enormous need for teachers. I think that college students, in particular, have a tendency to think that they are wiser than they really are. Everyone wants to think for themselves--but I am not at all certain that we are capable of doing so. And while it is important that a university be a place where the free expression and exchange of ideas is fostered, there is also a need for clear direction and instruction. More than ever we are in need of wisdom. But wisdom does not grow spontaneously of its own accord and (to the surprise of some) it does not grow in a pluralistic setting. Wisdom must be taught and trained and nurtured.

(2) I get really nervous whenever the news presents approval-rating polls. I get nervous and worried because the numbers seem to change and fluctuate so much (and because sometimes there is a plus-or-minus seven percent margin of error on those numbers). A few weeks is such a short time; are people really so fickle that their political support can shift from one party to the other in one weeks time and back again in the next week? I hope not.

(3) If you want to become a great teacher (or a master of homiletics), read your Bible. Jesus is a genius when it comes to teaching. He cuts right to the heart of the issue and doesn't waste time in round-about discussions, rabbit-trails, and speculation that leads nowhere. He is remarkably effective at grabbing the attention of his audience and guiding people into learning and growth that extends beyond the class-room. (This is drawn from my "Life & Teachings of Jesus" professor.)

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It's already almost November! My goodness! There's still so much to do. (On the other hand, my mentor, Steve, has been reminding me about the importance of patience. So I do not so much need to pray for more time as I need to pray for more patience; all things will be accomplished and fulfilled in their proper time.)

I'm looking forward to family dinner with my friends tomorrow evening, church in the morning, and homework in between.

Blessings,

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"God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world."

Senior 29: Health and Transformation

I'M VERY THANKFUL TO God for my health. Usually I stay pretty healthy even when there's a bug going around. Yesterday, though, things started to go downhill. But I slept about ten hours last night and feel much better, which is very good because I have Rugby and Football games to attend today, dinner with my D-group, church tomorrow morning, a philosophy party tomorrow evening, a group presentation on John Chrysostom for church history on Monday (for which I have a planning meeting on Sunday afternoon), and a structural analysis on Luke 4 and research on the history of the veneration of Mary, both also to be completed by Monday.

I think it was car problems that aggravated my equilibrium and sent me over the edge into malady and infirmity. I had to take my car in to a Smog Test Center and then to my mechanic in Alhambra. I wouldn't have been able to except that a number of my classes were cancelled yesterday. But it was an added stress. Honestly, how do people handle cars and car-maintenance.

Last evening, in contrast, was a lot of fun. For Sean's birthday, several friends went to a Japanese restaurant in LA and enjoyed very good sushi. We then wandered around the Grove for a while and had a very enjoyable time.

LAST SUNDAY WAS THE first Men's Chorale concert, at APU in Wilden Hall. The place was packed. The performance went marvelously. Unfortunately this was the only concert scheduled for October (and we had no concerts in September); I hope that the rest of the year is full of such good performances.

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THIS HAS BEEN A rather tumultuous week in the life of the University.

Actually that's all I'll say on that point in this blog. Much prayer is needed. Much clear thinking is also needed, but much prayer is needed more.

I like the Gospel of John because it has been reminding me, lately, of Christ's absolute indispensability for Life. (I also like Matthew for similar reasons. And as I study, I'm sure I'll come to appreciate Mark and Luke more.)

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I SUBMITTED ANOTHER LETTER-to-the-editor to the Clause (APU Student Newspaper). It has not yet been published so I am posting the letter here on my blog:

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In Monday-morning chapel (09 October 2006), Roberta Hestenes spoke about the plight of the poor and oppressed, the sick, the orphaned, and the widowed. Her message was one of many that I have heard around APU on this important subject. But I would like to step back from that issue and look at the larger picture for a moment, because I am afraid that these sorts of messages are being heard often enough that we are growing accustomed to them.

With repetition comes the danger of numbness, the deadening of our senses and hardening of our hearts. And if messages from the outside are not stirring us to obedience, then we need to look elsewhere for motivation—towards transformation from the inside. And if that is the case, then the question becomes: How do we soften our hearts? How do we open our ears? How do we become a community of people who are sensitive to the Word and work of God?

To answer this question, we must first recognize that the problem of spiritual deafness is not unique to those Scripture passages that deal with aiding the poor and oppressed. Rather this problem applies to almost the entire Bible. One example: in Matthew 6:25, Jesus says, "Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on."

And yet, how many of us find ourselves frequently preoccupied with our basic needs, distracted by anxiety about clothes and other necessities? How many of us fret over money and worry about so many things that are outside of our control? The problem is the same: we do not obey Scripture when it teaches us to help the poor; we do not obey Scripture when it teaches us to trust God with our basic needs.

But the connection goes deeper. When I am worried about finances and my own problems, I am not likely to be generous with money or considerate of other people’s pain. In contrast, when I am rooted in Jesus Christ, trusting Him as my source and provider, I am set free to offer myself—along with my time and resources and abilities—to others. More than that, when I am properly related to Jesus, he transforms me into a person that desires to reach out to others with His love. (see John 15:1-11.)

This is only one example, but I want to focus on it and carry it further: I think that we are surrounded, on this campus, with people who are plagued by worries, doubts, insecurities, fears, and pain. Telling them to help the poor and oppressed and needy can only go so far. They need to be touched by the love of God; we all need to be touched by the love of God.

And when we encounter that love—through interaction with the Word, communion with God in prayer, and the fellowship of the Body of Christ—we are changed. When we abide in that close relationship with Jesus Christ, the ‘true vine,’ then His Spirit transforms us into branches that bear much fruit to the glory of God.

And that, I believe, is our call.

Luis Montes
Senior Philosophy Major

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Blessings all,

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"God is in this place,
And that reality, seen and understood by the grace of God in Christ Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, makes all the difference in the world."