Tuesday, March 27, 2007
A Conversation With Ana
I had a great conversation today with Ana, the wonderful lady who helps keep Sigma clean. We talk on occasion, in my Portuguese-influenced Spanish, about what's going on in each one of our lives. She noticed our campaign materials and asked what I was running for. "Vice presidente," I replied.
She was glad, and even promised to vote for me; that is, before realizing this was a student-only election. Bless her heart.
Anyway, she said that she has been working for Biola for many years now, and has noticed a great improvement this last year in the student life. I thought to myself, "What is this improvement? Have I noticed this?" She went on to say this was because there is more order on campus, and there seems to be a higher moral center than before.
Friends, this is one woman who has noticed something.
We want to reach the world through the AS organization for the sake of bringing Christ to the culture in such a way that people start noticing the difference at Biola.
A global center for Christian thought and action! Just imagine, friends, what such a place is capable of doing.
We ask that in this whole process you keep in mind that this is a place that could potentially influence the culture. Who knows what God can do? The mystery has compelled both Bradley and I to run for these positions.
We are, in a sense, living in constant mystery, praying and hoping that we will be found useful tools for the Kingdom.
God bless you. Have a great week-
She was glad, and even promised to vote for me; that is, before realizing this was a student-only election. Bless her heart.
Anyway, she said that she has been working for Biola for many years now, and has noticed a great improvement this last year in the student life. I thought to myself, "What is this improvement? Have I noticed this?" She went on to say this was because there is more order on campus, and there seems to be a higher moral center than before.
Friends, this is one woman who has noticed something.
We want to reach the world through the AS organization for the sake of bringing Christ to the culture in such a way that people start noticing the difference at Biola.
A global center for Christian thought and action! Just imagine, friends, what such a place is capable of doing.
We ask that in this whole process you keep in mind that this is a place that could potentially influence the culture. Who knows what God can do? The mystery has compelled both Bradley and I to run for these positions.
We are, in a sense, living in constant mystery, praying and hoping that we will be found useful tools for the Kingdom.
God bless you. Have a great week-
THE Q & A
Just a quick note-- The AS Q & A will be taking place TONIGHT (Tuesday) at 10pm in the SUB... All the candidates for Pres/VP as well as those running for President of SMU will be there to speak directly with you!
On Shifting the Paradigm
It takes a great deal to change the world. Yet what is necessary is not money, nor resources, nor any tangible thing. What really has the power to really stir things up in the world can be summed up in one word: love. Now, before thousands of cliches come racing through your mind at bullet-speed, please consider that love is the source, while other things flow from it. The love of peace motivated Ghandi to change the way conflict was resolved between his native India and their colonizers. The love of mankind is what motivated Christ to take on human form and redeem all who had been lost. So, how do we as Biola students apply this to the way we think and act?
It takes these kinds of thoughts. When we stop acting in the way our culture dictates, we are able to change the world. Let us consider, that there are a few thousand college students wanting to impact the world for Christ. What kind of love would be necessary to change the world? Have we achieved it? Perhaps our community would be different if we had achieved it.
Now, here's the challenge. Put aside your cultural quicksand and dream for a moment. Dream about having actual purpose in life, dream about a functional multicultural community, and you will begin to understand what it means to have a love so profound that actually motivates you to action.
Our dream is to actualize the dream. Please, more than anything, be mindful of the fact that impacting the culture requires shifts in paradigm. It requires us to think in ways that challenge our cultural beliefs.
Meanwhile, there are meetings. There are logistics. But at the end of the day we ask one thing.
Dream with us.
We hope to RECAPTURE whatever has been lost. Whatever the culture has told us is impossible.
It takes these kinds of thoughts. When we stop acting in the way our culture dictates, we are able to change the world. Let us consider, that there are a few thousand college students wanting to impact the world for Christ. What kind of love would be necessary to change the world? Have we achieved it? Perhaps our community would be different if we had achieved it.
Now, here's the challenge. Put aside your cultural quicksand and dream for a moment. Dream about having actual purpose in life, dream about a functional multicultural community, and you will begin to understand what it means to have a love so profound that actually motivates you to action.
Our dream is to actualize the dream. Please, more than anything, be mindful of the fact that impacting the culture requires shifts in paradigm. It requires us to think in ways that challenge our cultural beliefs.
Meanwhile, there are meetings. There are logistics. But at the end of the day we ask one thing.
Dream with us.
We hope to RECAPTURE whatever has been lost. Whatever the culture has told us is impossible.
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