If one feature of my ongoing ministry can be said to give me the most joy, it is mentoring young people. I've been doing this in some fashion for nearly four decades—formally in the classroom, and informally in my semi-retirement. When I retired nearly nine years ago, I never expected mentoring to continue and thought I was leaving it behind for good. But over that time, especially since affiliating with Global Scholars Canada in 2019, God has put in my path several young people whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know and love. These have come about mostly by accident, although some have sought me out and others I have sought out, especially those with a previous connection through parents or grandparents.
A few days ago, this young man, named Mitchell Bahnsen, alerted me to something he wrote on his Substack: A Short Tribute to a New Friend. I will not quote him here and will allow you to read it for yourself. But when I read it, I could not hold back the tears.
Originally, I saw my academic ministry consisting primarily of research and writing, along with in-person and online interviews on subjects related to my books. But after several years in which God has pointed me in a somewhat different direction, I am now seeing my work as deeply relational: connecting with and continuing to love the people whom God has put in my path. This has reoriented my writing as well: I am not just addressing fellow scholars or trying to advance my career, such as it is at this late stage in my life. I am writing for flesh and blood human beings created in God's image and of infinite worth to their Creator. For me academics is not just about head knowledge—about "minds in the making," as one institution of higher learning puts it. It is very much a matter of the heart—a heart filled with the love of God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment