A posture of worship
Seeking self-knowledge through scholarship
April 7, 2007
Sharelle Drewlo
In my years as a Kwantlen student, I longed to be part of Trinity Western University. During my breaks, I would drive down the road and pretend to be a TWU student. I would walk around, talk to friends, and eat in the cafeteria. When I saw someone I knew, they would ask me, “Do you go here?” I would hide a blush and glumly respond, “No, I only pretend.”
To most, this probably seems lame, perhaps even a little ridiculous. But there was something different about TWU. The question is: what was it? I suppose this question is often raised. We seek to determine what distinguishes TWU from the school down the road. What is a Christian liberal arts education? The obvious answer is usually Christian worldview integration.
Although this commonly stated principle is valid, I discovered TWU’s distinctiveness on a much deeper level. At this institution, I learned the joy of academia. All around me there was an intellectual dialogue which involved both professors and students. And I was asked to participate in it. I came to appreciate an atmosphere that is ripe for discussion at any given moment. I fell in love with the intellectual insight that comes not only from professors, but from the person sitting next to you in the cafeteria.
Despite this discovery, the distinctiveness of TWU is not solely academic. Studying the liberal arts is not simply an education for the mind, but for the soul. Specifically, it is an education towards “the good, the true, and the beautiful.” In the traditional context of Kwantlen and other secular liberal arts institutions, the intention of the liberal arts is to educate the whole person. Based on this premise, the Christian liberal arts seek to educate the whole person in light of Christ.
I came to TWU already wishing to pursue knowledge. I began from a position of scholarship, which I thought was enough. But TWU offered more. It offered a place where spiritual formation – soul formation – occurs in conjunction with learning. Education in the various disciplines is not separate from spiritual formation, but integral to it. A Christian liberal arts education realizes the limitations of scholarship and pursues something higher. Through the liberal arts, we pursue the eternal. I came looking for scholarship; I discovered that scholarship can be worship.
Now, as a fourth year student, I am asked, “Are you excited to graduate?” The answer is no, I am not. What could be better than this? Whether you love it or not, this is a place where everyday you wake up and learn. You are not forced to work at a job that you hate. We find it difficult to fathom getting up earlier than 8:00 a.m. Yet beyond these trivialities, we are given the rare opportunity to participate in this community, in this body of believers that are academics. This is the greatest education of all. If you don’t believe me, try Kwantlen; it’s just down the road.
Now you go...
3 Responses to “A posture of worship”
Got something to say?
sharelle drewlo is my hero.
Drewlo,
I loved the article. Unabashfully “Trin-keen” and personal. Try hard to stay out of the working world for as long as possible my friend…
Rick
Sharelle, you’re an academic inspiration. This article is a great reminder that we’re living the dream!