More than a Degree

At my recent graduation from Columbia Bible College, it was a joke among many of the graduates that we had gotten “more than a degree” from CBC, referring to the fact that many of us were leaving with a fiancée or spouse, and maybe even a child.

I can definitely say that I left CBC with more than a degree.  I have a wonderful family, dear friends, and great memories.  But beyond all of that, I have a calling.

At CBC we hear a lot about Shalom – the all encompassing peace and reconciliation that God desires for his creation.  It’s about salvation; it’s about following in the way of Jesus; it’s about bringing people together; it’s about choosing nonviolence; it’s about caring for the earth that God has given us; it’s about learning to love and forgive ourselves, and it’s so much more.

As God’s people, he invites us into his work of bringing shalom.  That is where my calling comes from.  I believe that my calling is to build connectedness.  We were never made to live isolated, disconnected lives – both the Bible and psychology clearly show us that.  We are made to be in relationship with God, others, creation, and our selves.  I want to create a safe place, a place that promotes peace, connectedness, and community.  A place where hurting, lonely people can find a place to belong.  A space where people can draw closer to God, build genuine community with others, connect meaningfully with creation, and find peace with themselves.

I am doing my best to live this vision now – although we live in a small apartment, Jesse and I do our best to live intentionally.  We are always welcoming people into our family, whether they are staying for dinner, for the night, or for longer.  We try to live ethically and simply.  We do our best to create a welcoming and peaceful home, with an open door. 

But we are also dreaming big.  My dream is one day to live in a place where we have the space to live in community with many other people, and to be able to live in a sustainable way that cares for the earth.  I want that place to be a haven of peace and safety, where people can come and get away from the hectic, busy pace of life that isolates us and burns us out, and instead slow down, breathe, dig in the garden, hike up a mountain, sit around a campfire, and eat together around a big table where there’s always room for one more.

That is my calling.  And I want to encourage all of you that while we all have different abilities, interests, and dreams, the heart of our calling is the same – because it is the heart of God.