Saturday, December 15, 2007 at 2:02am
The end of school days
Column: For His Glory
Wow, it is actually over and I can't believe it. When you look back, the time spent studying is but a blur. It seems that way to me. I have finished my Masters of Divinity degree, and I am proud of it, and yet the joy of it hasn't yet sunk in. It will hit me in a couple of days, but for now I am just glad it is over. All the papers, exams, projects, the theory of it all is finished, and now, by the grace of God, I can hit the real world of practical ministry. I know it will not always be enjoyable, there are going to be challenges, yet I long to be putting into practice all that I have learned.
When I look back, though, I will remember mostly the people I have met. I have met people from all over the world, and it's exciting. I pray that I can keep in touch with all of them, and I know somehow we will. Some I will speak with more often, and yet I will carry all of them with me somehow, someway, because each has had an influence upon my life. I have learned to understand different cultures more, to be more sympathetic to others' point of views, even when we disagree. Yet each person I have spoken to, laughed with, shed tears with, has helped shaped who I am today, and I want to thank them for the memories. Thank you.
From the academic side, I have learned to think more on my own. To challenge every thought and assumption made by others against the word of God. With different personalities and different temperaments, opinions can get intense and feelings run deep and strong, yet each idea offers an opportunity to learn, and that is something you cannot get by simply reading a book. Human interaction is unpredictable and yet so profound that learning on your own is not the same. This is why being here with people from Africa, Canada, Korea, Australia, the Middle East, Hawaii, Russia, South America, Germany, England and many more countries and regions has been a well rounded education. I would not trade it for any other educational experience. I would just wish the weather were warmer in Michigan, but it will be in Texas, praise the Lord.
My life now changes, from the school to the real world; I do not know what it will bring, and yet the excitement of it all has me giddy. I could not have done it without first making a stop at Andrews's theological seminary and experiencing the joy of learning new things and meeting new people. Thank you, Andrew's, for the memories.
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Gio Marin is the pastor of the College Station and Waller Seventh-day Adventist Church in the state of Texas. He is currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Send him an email at {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.
When I look back, though, I will remember mostly the people I have met. I have met people from all over the world, and it's exciting. I pray that I can keep in touch with all of them, and I know somehow we will. Some I will speak with more often, and yet I will carry all of them with me somehow, someway, because each has had an influence upon my life. I have learned to understand different cultures more, to be more sympathetic to others' point of views, even when we disagree. Yet each person I have spoken to, laughed with, shed tears with, has helped shaped who I am today, and I want to thank them for the memories. Thank you.
From the academic side, I have learned to think more on my own. To challenge every thought and assumption made by others against the word of God. With different personalities and different temperaments, opinions can get intense and feelings run deep and strong, yet each idea offers an opportunity to learn, and that is something you cannot get by simply reading a book. Human interaction is unpredictable and yet so profound that learning on your own is not the same. This is why being here with people from Africa, Canada, Korea, Australia, the Middle East, Hawaii, Russia, South America, Germany, England and many more countries and regions has been a well rounded education. I would not trade it for any other educational experience. I would just wish the weather were warmer in Michigan, but it will be in Texas, praise the Lord.
My life now changes, from the school to the real world; I do not know what it will bring, and yet the excitement of it all has me giddy. I could not have done it without first making a stop at Andrews's theological seminary and experiencing the joy of learning new things and meeting new people. Thank you, Andrew's, for the memories.
— — —
Gio Marin is the pastor of the College Station and Waller Seventh-day Adventist Church in the state of Texas. He is currently working on a master of divinity degree at Andrews Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, with a dual emphasis on systematic theology and church growth & evangelism. Send him an email at {email GioMarinColumn@aol.com}GioMarinColumn@aol.com{/email}. © Copyright 2007 by Gio Marin.