A few days ago I wrote about starting college in the early eighties. My best experiences at college were conversations about the meaning of life, why we were here and how we could make the world a better place.

Karl Marx, German political economist, 1861

We studied various political thinkers including Marx and we read George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty Four”, wondering whether the Iron Curtain would become an even harsher barrier separating east from west. Europe seemed much smaller then, as most people living in the Eastern Bloc were virtual prisoners and could not join us to present their perspective. Our parents were children in Britain during World War Two and their memories also reminded us that the power of evil could impact us as it had impacted them. Although their gas masks looked like Mickey Mouse they were still a reminder that danger was a real possibility. Europe was not necessarily fine and there was much to discuss.

When we arrived in The States in 1999 we came at the end of an era. There was still the assumption here that the US was safe and far away from danger. Waitresses smiled continuously and there was a sense of satisfaction. There seemed to be an abundance of money: sufficient money to throw away on details. There was a sense that we could all fall in love with the present because it was good and we were happy. Vietnam was a bad memory but best swept aside as it should not spoil the fun of the present.

September 11th threw a hand grenade into much of that. It was a terrible day that reminded Americans that evil was a reality and that like Europe, America is not necessarily fine.

Our oldest son Tom is going to college for the first time this week. I hope that he will be challenged to think beyond the fun. Perhaps now there is more debate here about good and evil and while Islam seems to be more threatening than communism, it demands a response in the same way that the Iron Curtain provoked us to comment. September 11th can never be justified but the Bible teaches that God works for good in those who love him and I think that there is value in being challenged to question why. Without recognizing evil we cannot understand our need for a savior. This world is full of evil, full of examples of man hating man.

Jesus is God who came to Earth as a baby, at the first Christmas, to grow up to die for us to receive the punishment that we deserve, at the first Easter. My desire is that our son, Tom, will be in an environment, like I was, where students are prepared to push aside the Easter bunny and Santa Claus and consider how Jesus stands against evil with his love and hope. Instead of hiding behind fixed smiles, we also can consider the claims of Jesus and how he can help a hurting world, how Jesus can help us. Pursuing truth will offend but it is more purposeful than avoiding conflict by saying nothing. It is more purposeful than pretending that the Easter bunny has all the answers, smoothing over family difficulties by offering candy to maintain peace. This fictional interpretation of Easter contrasts hugely with what Jesus achieved on the first Easter when he shed his precious blood to offer peace to a people who deserve punishment.

As I travel to Chicago with Tom tomorrow I will be silent for a few days, Please use this time to scroll back to the beginning of this blog to see what I was like when I was also seventeen and starting college, and how God changed my life. Read some of the comments, including a current conversation investigating the meaning of life.

May God bless you.

Related posts:

1. Starting College As I had already been to boarding school when I was younger, arriving at Homerton...
2. Like cancer, sin needs to be cut out When I was a new Christian I was selective about which parts of the Bible...
3. Could money worries be fatal? Worrying about money and wealth is a national pass time. Americans are very focused on...
4. The Harvest In England, growing up, I enjoyed the wheat harvest when the wheat turned from green...
5. Avoid or Embrace Religious Conflict? Most people who lived in England when I was a kid considered that they were...

 Email This Post