The past few days have been very interesting. On Thursday night, as I expected, “senior prank” took place. The seniors have no seminar and, after much planning, they band together in various groups to interrupt the underclassmen’s seminars after about an hour and a half. The administration knows about it and is expecting the entirety of the College to have a hangover the next day; therefore, all students were assured that whenever prank happened, the next day of classes would be cancelled. The theme this year, which I’m told was much more organized than last year, was “Johnnywood,” and the groups that interrupted seminar did so in the fashion of various famous and infamous films. My night was a bit different from the average Freshman’s.
About forty-five minutes into the seminar (forty-five minutes too early) three seniors burst into our room. One masked man whom I recognized as Rick Grape, a good brother in the Lord, walked over to Michael and picked him up over his shoulder, and two other guys came, put my hands behind my back, and escorted me out of the room. Kirstie, one of my peers and a sister in the Lord, confessed later that she was a little nervous about the two most outspoken Christian guys being kidnapped without explanation. All was well, though. As it turned out, Rick and Jessica, our friends, were planning their invasion of a sophomore seminar with a Moulin Rouge theme, and they wanted Michael and me to dress up as butlers to serve sparkling grape juice and play music while a group of sophomores and a junior (also kidnapped) danced the tango. It was fun. I wasn’t expecting it, and everything worked out well.
After the prank, all the students went into the auditorium to watch the senior skit and other such festivities, featuring drunken humor and a tremendous tumult not typical of the St. John’s environment. Honestly, it was disgusting.
I remember my first reaction to the College’s attitude toward alcohol: anger. And the other night, the anger turned to horror. It was a reminder that I’m walking in the world, and that even the calm, collected appearance of St. John’s (how noble the College seal seems!) cannot stop people from executing the desires of their hearts. After the skit, which I was anxious to leave, a group of us left campus to lounge at 49 West. Tabitha, Chelsea, and Katie (three sisters in the sophomore class) joined Michael, Jesse, and I. Jonathan went to bed because he was feeling ill. It was good to escape for a little while and be away from the environment of the campus that evening. We had fun, and were able to encourage each other in the midst of such a discouraging party.
We walked back to the campus. Tabitha and Katie quickly went back to the dorm, and the rest of us slowly walked over to Spector Hall. Then Michael and I started to watch a movie with Chelsea there, but quickly conceded that sleep was imminent and not worth fighting. Michael and I walked back and stopped by the party in McDowell Hall. It was terrible. But as terrible as it was, I know the Lord is working on this campus, and in that I am very encouraged.
(It’s important for me to push away the voices of pride and prejudice that tempt me. I haven’t been sent to condemn the College, but instead to make known the salvation of God in Christ Jesus. Those who don’t believe in the Lord Jesus are already striving under judgment [ref. John 3:18], and there’s nothing I can offer them with judgment except hypocrisy and more evil, thereby showing myself to be a “perfect” man condemned instead of an imperfect man redeemed. I work at the College with an understanding that there will be horrifying and saddening things happening all around me, but that my reactions are not to weigh me down or cause my love to fail, because my Lord’s love is unfailing and His mercy is raining down on all the world. His mercy has taken away what I deserve, and His grace has given me the promise of eternal life, which I do not deserve. Who am I to think that the power He’s worked in my life is not also at work in these others at the College? I do believe that his mercy is new every morning, and that this most terrible party is not something that I should ever hold against my peers. He loves them, and I do also.)
The next day I spent some time relaxing, in an extreme way. And then, Abigail and Charity drove to visit me for a few hours. I gave them a quick view of the campus and we strolled into the historic town to grab a bite to eat. I hope they had a good time. I enjoyed seeing them.
I love you both very much.
Today I need to get some work done. I have Aristotle to read, something for lab to write, and Ptolemy to struggle through. If I can get the first two out of the way, I’ll be able to relax again on Sunday.
Another thing to note: Jesse, Jonathan, Michael, and I have set up another blog with the explicit purpose of sending our praises, news, and prayer requests to our home churches and other people around the world. This will give you some insight into those wonderful brothers that I continually mention. We have only now begun to work it out, and it’s subject to large changes, but here is Where Four or More Are Gathered.
The Lord is good, and His love endures forever. I have tasted and seen, and I will stand by Him in these troubled times, because He is able to make me stand.
About forty-five minutes into the seminar (forty-five minutes too early) three seniors burst into our room. One masked man whom I recognized as Rick Grape, a good brother in the Lord, walked over to Michael and picked him up over his shoulder, and two other guys came, put my hands behind my back, and escorted me out of the room. Kirstie, one of my peers and a sister in the Lord, confessed later that she was a little nervous about the two most outspoken Christian guys being kidnapped without explanation. All was well, though. As it turned out, Rick and Jessica, our friends, were planning their invasion of a sophomore seminar with a Moulin Rouge theme, and they wanted Michael and me to dress up as butlers to serve sparkling grape juice and play music while a group of sophomores and a junior (also kidnapped) danced the tango. It was fun. I wasn’t expecting it, and everything worked out well.
After the prank, all the students went into the auditorium to watch the senior skit and other such festivities, featuring drunken humor and a tremendous tumult not typical of the St. John’s environment. Honestly, it was disgusting.
I remember my first reaction to the College’s attitude toward alcohol: anger. And the other night, the anger turned to horror. It was a reminder that I’m walking in the world, and that even the calm, collected appearance of St. John’s (how noble the College seal seems!) cannot stop people from executing the desires of their hearts. After the skit, which I was anxious to leave, a group of us left campus to lounge at 49 West. Tabitha, Chelsea, and Katie (three sisters in the sophomore class) joined Michael, Jesse, and I. Jonathan went to bed because he was feeling ill. It was good to escape for a little while and be away from the environment of the campus that evening. We had fun, and were able to encourage each other in the midst of such a discouraging party.
We walked back to the campus. Tabitha and Katie quickly went back to the dorm, and the rest of us slowly walked over to Spector Hall. Then Michael and I started to watch a movie with Chelsea there, but quickly conceded that sleep was imminent and not worth fighting. Michael and I walked back and stopped by the party in McDowell Hall. It was terrible. But as terrible as it was, I know the Lord is working on this campus, and in that I am very encouraged.
(It’s important for me to push away the voices of pride and prejudice that tempt me. I haven’t been sent to condemn the College, but instead to make known the salvation of God in Christ Jesus. Those who don’t believe in the Lord Jesus are already striving under judgment [ref. John 3:18], and there’s nothing I can offer them with judgment except hypocrisy and more evil, thereby showing myself to be a “perfect” man condemned instead of an imperfect man redeemed. I work at the College with an understanding that there will be horrifying and saddening things happening all around me, but that my reactions are not to weigh me down or cause my love to fail, because my Lord’s love is unfailing and His mercy is raining down on all the world. His mercy has taken away what I deserve, and His grace has given me the promise of eternal life, which I do not deserve. Who am I to think that the power He’s worked in my life is not also at work in these others at the College? I do believe that his mercy is new every morning, and that this most terrible party is not something that I should ever hold against my peers. He loves them, and I do also.)
The next day I spent some time relaxing, in an extreme way. And then, Abigail and Charity drove to visit me for a few hours. I gave them a quick view of the campus and we strolled into the historic town to grab a bite to eat. I hope they had a good time. I enjoyed seeing them.
I love you both very much.
Today I need to get some work done. I have Aristotle to read, something for lab to write, and Ptolemy to struggle through. If I can get the first two out of the way, I’ll be able to relax again on Sunday.
Another thing to note: Jesse, Jonathan, Michael, and I have set up another blog with the explicit purpose of sending our praises, news, and prayer requests to our home churches and other people around the world. This will give you some insight into those wonderful brothers that I continually mention. We have only now begun to work it out, and it’s subject to large changes, but here is Where Four or More Are Gathered.
The Lord is good, and His love endures forever. I have tasted and seen, and I will stand by Him in these troubled times, because He is able to make me stand.
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