new church life: march / april 2014
turning in all directions). Constant movement, infinite possibilities, as
long as we face the Lord. Nunc Licet. Now it is permitted to enter with
understanding into the mysteries of faith.
Let’s take a brief humility break here and acknowledge that none of
us (even those who have studied the Writings for 50 or 60 years) has a full
understanding of the mysteries
of faith. How much less so these
students of 18 or 20 years old,
some of whom are coming upon
these teachings for the first time?
But Nunc Licet nonetheless. These
students are at least entering, at
least crossing a threshold with
their minds. And what better
place to use one’s intellect to
cross into spiritual territory, into
spiritual campus, than at a New
Church college?
The spiritual campus is the
light in students’ faces as they
begin to see how separate facts
become bodies of knowledge, become understanding – those “aha” moments
when something catches fire. The spiritual campus is the glimpses of wisdom
when knowing, loving and doing come together.
The spiritual campus is all the service and charity that takes place, on and
off campus, as well as the attitudes of compassion, respect and appreciation
for others. Any good liberal arts college in the 21st century is engaging in this
sort of thing – service, civility, compassion and citizenship – and we should
celebrate this powerful common ground with other institutions.
Yet there are distinctions and enhancements worth celebrating. At the
College we see our students as eternal beings who have already begun building
their homes in the other world, whether they know it or not. We emphasize
their spiritual development, both for the short term and the very long term.
We believe that what they do here and now, what they learn and how
they perform, matters tremendously, not just in terms of career and the
natural lifespan, but in terms of the grand human and eternity. The belief that
every student is born for eternal usefulness in heaven creates an educational
environment based on respect, confidence and rigorous expectations. We
treat our students as angels in the making.
Our spiritual campus is everywhere that Bryn Athyn College graduates
The belief that every
student is born for eternal
usefulness in heaven creates
an educational environment
based on respect, confidence
and rigorous expectations.
We treat our students as
angels in the making.
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