Why Regent University?

Simply put – God called me here. When my wife and I were still dating in 2005, I worked at a place I loved, lived near friends and family in Ohio, and I was all set to go to another university on a full-ride scholarship. Yet, there was a sense of unrest – God was whispering and I listened... In a matter of two months, we quit our jobs, got married and moved here to get a degree at Regent. There is no question that Regent was the right choice.

Why Online Learning?

As a direct result of earning a Christian education, I have a better grasp of my roles as a Christian, a husband, a lifelong learner, a friend, a follower, and a leader. Moreover, earning a degree is a very fulfilling yet difficult experience. I can’t imagine earning it without the support and encouragement of dedicated Christian faculty and the freedom (and expectation) to grapple with spiritual challenges in the context of the classroom.

Why A Business Degree?

Leadership is interesting, relevant and applicable. Leadership is everywhere but it is not understood by many people. Also, there is a critical need for good leadership everywhere. Last, leadership is essential influence, and without influence, one cannot change the world. The real question is, “Why not a leadership degree?”

Alumnus

Amazing Grace?

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Recently, I received an email from my life group leader prompting us to rush out to support the new movie, Amazing Grace. Some of my Christian acquaintances have also "pushed" the movie. To these advances, I feel some sort of rebellion...

Why should I go pay my hard-earned money to go see a movie just because it has a Christian theme or was produced by a Christian? Is it not possible for a Christian to make a bad movie? Is God personally involved in the scripting, casting, and production of all Christian films? Is there some sort of eternal penalty for not seeing these movies of which I am unaware?

A while back, I also received prompting from my life group leader as well as other Christians to go see End of the Spear. I did eventually go see the End of the Spear, and it was a great movie. While I may decide to see Amazing Grace, I will not see it just because it is a Christian movie.

While I am certainly not opposed to Christian movies or films produced by Christian producers, I will not support it simply because it is Christian. There are a lot of things that are Christian that I do not support and should not feel "obligated" to support. Whether it is a dealership, a restaurant, a hairstylist, or even a university, supporting something simply because it is Christian does not seem to be a solid policy. Supporting quality products, services, and entertainment, however, makes sense to me.

Does this stance make me a bad Christian? Hardly. In fact, I think it simply makes me a discerning person who is willing to suspend immediate judgment based on the category in which something has been placed. I think this train of thought holds value in other areas as well…

Consider the others’ perceptions when they hear that someone is handicapped, old, young, a certain ethnicity, or even of a particular worldview. Many times, people will make assumptions and they will make quick value judgments that may ultimately either put them in harm’s way or prevent them from discovering the beauty in others, a potential friendship, or even more.

I guess the lesson here is we should try to suspend or initial judgments long enough to think critically and maybe open our hearts. If God can provide us with the grace to do that, life would certainly be even more amazing.

Image from Michael's "Optical Illusions and Visual Phenomena"

at 1:58 PM

1 comments:

Paul said...

Considering the film, apart from labels, I truly enjoyed the film. I walked away inspired and motivated. I personally connect to the film because I felt I had something in common with Wilberforce as someone who wants to positively impact society through politics.

The film itself was very well done, on par in my estimation with many "secular" films. I would gladly recommend the film based on its own merits rather than its “label”. So many times I watch "Christian" films sadly noticing the lack of professional quality that movie-goers have come to expect. This movie is a welcome, and hopefully not exclusive, exception.

February 27, 2007 at 5:20 PM  

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