Go With Him Two . . .

On Friday mornings, after my Legal Argumentation class and office hours, I attend Prof. Enlow's "Christianity and Law" lectures at HILS. (Handong International Law School -- the graduate law school that is now located on the first two floors of All Nations Hall below my department -- the University's undergraduate School of Law housed on All Nations' third floor).  Yesterday's lecture focused upon the 2nd Century Letter to Diognetus written by an anonymous Christian who had been taught by the Apostles (most likely Paul).

The recipient of this letter, Diognetus, is considered by many scholars to have been the Diognetus who was the teacher of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (that's the emperor above; no known bust of Diognetus exists).  Diognetus, though, was a well-known philosopher of his day and may have looked a bit like this simply-clothed fellow striking a pensive pose with scroll in hand.

It is a very interesting letter seeing as it describes how followers of Christ, some 1800 years ago, lived their lives in the midst of the Roman culture of their day.  One passage from the letter to Diognetus was particularly arresting:

For Christians cannot be distinguished from the rest of the human race by country or language or customs. They do not live in cities of their own; they do not use a peculiar form of speech; they do not follow an eccentric manner of life. This doctrine of theirs has not been discovered by the ingenuity or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do they put forward a merely human teaching, as some people do.

Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man's lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth.

They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land. They marry, like everyone else, and they beget children, but they do not cast out their offspring.

They share their board with each other, but not their marriage bed. It is true that they are "in the flesh," but they do not live "according to the flesh. They busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives they go far beyond what the laws require.

I found that last line to be especially telling.  Could the same be said of Christ's followers today?  Could it be said of me here at Handong?  Do I make it a practice of my life to "go far beyond" what is required of me?  As a disciple of Christ do I follow his teachings in the Sermon on the Mount?  When I am compelled to go one mile, do I willingly "go with him two"?

And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.  ~ Matthew 5:40-42

First Day's Daunting

The first day of the new term can be daunting. When you look at your first class roster and see more names than the number of seats in the classroom you've been assigned, you can feel a bit overwhelmed. But, with the help of your able Teaching Assistant, you scout out available, larger classrooms down the hall and find, to your great relief, that the largest lecture room in the new wing of your building is open and accommodates all of the students who have registered for your course -- even the ones on the waiting list who are making heart-felt appeals for admission.

As the room begins to fill, you are pleased to see that you actually recognize some of the students as those who had taken (and survived) one of your classes in the past fall term.  You think to yourself, "Maybe this term I'll even be able to master some of their names." Then, it happens.  More students arrive.  Now there are students who are on neither the class roster nor the waiting list!  That daunting feeling begins to creep up on you again.  As the seats begin to fill, the students are thankful that you have selected the largest classroom, but you begin to suspect that a more moderate-sized one might have been a better choice.

The time comes to begin your introduction and overview of the course, and after a few words of personal greeting, you invite each of the students to introduce himself and herself.  As each rises to do so, up and down through all of the many rows, you realize once again why you do what you do.  Each face is full of expression.  Each voice speaks with its own accent -- Korean, both South and North, Vietnamese, Tajik and Mongolian as well as a few Korean Americans who grew up in Minnesota, New Jersey or California, and even other Koreans who have lived in South Africa and Senegal.  You have been given the opportunity of leading and the privilege of learning together with some of the best and brightest students from around the world.

While the day began under daunting circumstances, by the end of the first class period that overwhelming feeling has transformed into an enveloping excitement.  The new term has begun.  Its time to seize the day, and undertake another journey with your students as together you continue to pose and ponder the persistent questions of life.

Test everything; hold fast what is good. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:21