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It’s that time of year again. What time, you ask? I would tell you, if I were allowed. I would love to tell you the name of the season that will soon be upon us (and I don’t mean winter) but I dare not, for fear that I may offend some delicate and politically sensitive ears. Instead, I will cleverly disguise the season in question, referring to it in vague, inclusive language. Let’s call it “the holiday season.” Hmmm, and what might be the occasion for this holiday, one might ask? The politically correct response: “Because it’s winter, silly.” Ah yes. Winter. Thank you for reminding me of the true reason for the season: the sun’s rays are hitting the earth at a slightly more obtuse angle than at other times of the year, causing the temperature in the northern hemisphere to drop significantly, so everybody gets a couple of days off work and gives each other ornately wrapped gifts. It’s all becoming so clear.
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December 9, 2005 | 1 Comment
The tragic news regarding one of our fellow students, Rachel Uchida, brings, upon reflection, a reminder of our own mortality. Rachel was a beautiful girl with a beautiful voice, full of vibrancy and youth. Death is not exclusive to the old and infirm; our generation too faces this reality. As Christmas time draws near, Rachel’s death is particularly tragic, but thinking about death in general is not. Everyone at TWU is aware (or should be) that Christmas is more than gathering as a family, eating good food, and giving gifts to loved ones, good as those things may be. Christmas is more than festive lights and songs of snow and sleighs. The real significance of Christmas, of course, is the coming of Christ. As the Uchida family mourns for Rachel, perhaps they will find comfort in a song written by her brother, Andrew. In it, Christ sings to us, “Come, lay your burdens down at My feet…Come, I want to be with you!” Yet before we were able to come to Him, God came to us through the Incarnation. At Christmas time we celebrate the birth of the One who came to “give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high shall visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:77-79). Thus, in light of the deeper meaning of Christmas, Rachel’s death, though we will miss her and mourn our loss, gives way to hope. We are reminded that Christ came to give us victory over death: “O death where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:55-57). Because of her faith in Jesus, Rachel’s death is not the end. She and all others who have gone before us will be missed as family and friends gather together this year, but we can rejoice in the hope that Christ brought when He came at Christmas, the hope of future glory and reunification with God and our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Perma-Link (385 words).
December 9, 2005 | 21 Comments
The mission of Trinity Western is to “develop godly Christian leaders…who serve God and people in the various marketplaces of life.” In many a chapel or convocation service Dr. Snider and the leadership of this school have stood up and talked about the unique characteristics of this institution: we are a university and not a Bible college, and we stand apart from other schools by seeking to transform culture through our working professions. To this end, TWU has developed excellent programs in Business, Human Kinetics, Education, Chemistry, Pre-med and Psychology. Of the top five majors there are 442 students in Business, 275 in Education, 213 in Psychology, 151 in Communication and 147 in Human Kinetics (Mars’ Hill, Volume 9, Issue 10). Contrastingly, there are only a paltry nine philosophy majors, with only the Math and French majors having fewer students.
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December 9, 2005 | 2 Comments
Headline Re: “Bubbly and the bubble” MH Issue 5
I just wanted to thank Lauren for the points that she raised. It is so true that we want our sacrifices to seem significant, and we put up such a fight against “ordinary” ones. The issue runs much deeper than just “drinking or not drinking”. Thanks for addressing the shallow nature of our motives.
Rezi Amiri
From marshillonline.com
Lauren makes some good points about alcohol, but misses out on the following:
1) “Community standards… is not a discussion of right and wrong.”
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December 9, 2005 | Leave a Comment
In a culture filled with so much noise and meaningless blather, I think Ecclesiastes has much to say to the contemporary Christian worshipper.
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December 9, 2005 | Leave a Comment
I think this year’s Christmas candy was in stores the day after Halloween. Starbucks has been playing Christmas music and selling their holiday coffees for weeks. The caf and the Cog are decorated. People are starting to have Christmas parties and there are candy canes everywhere.
Every year, all t he fuss and bother makes me wonder, “What’s up with the Christmas season?” Every year it starts earlier; every year it gets more and more commercialized. My family has never placed an emphasis on the commercial aspect of Christmas. Instead, I grew up celebrating Advent. Every day we would read Scripture and sing a song together, focusing on the coming of Jesus. All of it led up to Christmas Day. And although I never believed in Santa Claus, every year I would get super-excited about Christmas.
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December 9, 2005 | 1 Comment
I didn’t expect today to be my last day of work. My boss and I had agreed that Thursday of this week would be the end of my term of service, and at that point I’d gracefully bow out, say my goodbyes, and who knows, maybe even be the guest of honour at a surprise going away party, where there’d be cake and balloons and a giant banner saying “WE’LL MISS YOU TONS KEVAN,” not to mention a donkey piñata, and free sandwiches, and a signed card from all my co-workers, which would say, “Happy wishes for all your endeavours.”
