Several decades ago, when I stepped onto the campus of Dallas Theological Seminary, I was thoroughly intimidated.
Why?
At some rock-bottom level, I keenly felt I didn’t belong. Not having met most of them, I nonetheless revered the faculty members. Though I had read the Bible often since becoming a Christian at age 9, I was yet a novice in The Book. In college, I struggled through my first year of Biblical Greek. I sensed an overwhelming academic tsunami was about to crash into my life. Plagued by quiet fears of failing, I often wondered, “What in the world am I doing here?”
As the initial fall semester unfolded, the tsunami came, and I was drowning. The intellectual effort I’d put forward in college was woefully inadequate for graduate school. I sat in classes quietly, fearful to venture questions. I remembered President Lincoln’s advice, “Better to remain silent and be considered a fool, rather than open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.”
One day, as I sat alone in the student lunch area, one of the Department of Historical Theology profs came strolling through with a brown bag in his hand. Suddenly, Dr. John Hannah stopped next to my table. “So,” he said rather matter-of-factly, “what’s eating your lunch these days?”
I was stunned. A DTS prof cared what was going through my head, and in my heart? “May I join you?” he continued.
“Sure!” I answered, and we unpacked sandwiches and chips together. He asked general and then personal questions. It was meaningful, thoughtful, sincere. In a freshly substantial way--through someone simply drawing near--I was given the assurance I belonged.
GOD’S INVITATION TO DRAW NEAR
Rather than being intimidated about God, we are openly invited by God to draw near.
I wouldn’t be surprised if when asked you said, “The letter from James is one of my favorite books in the Bible.” You’d have a lot of company. This Spirit-of-God prompted apostle offers so much that is simple and straightforward.
