Yesterday, as I was waiting for convocation to start, I was having a somewhat vehement vent to Joe, who was playing piano for me. I was complaining about how Southern pushes student missions so much. "Be a student missionary--you won't regret it!" "Take time off, figure out your life!" "Southern sends out the most student missionaries, uphold the standard!" Southern Missionary College. (hmm, well maybe that's better than Southern Matrimony College. . . ) I suppose this bothers me because I was never an SM. I don't feel like I was called to be an SM. How come Southern can't stress being a missionary here, in the United States, and prepare us to be missionaries after we graduate? What if we're passionate about reaching people here? This prompted the question to Joe, "Well, why don't we learn that stuff here?" He said, "If you want to learn that stuff, you've got to go to Arise, or AFCOE . . ." "But that's STUPID!" I cut him off. "I'm going to an Adventist school. We should be learning that here." "It's because we they have standards they have to keep up with here, and they're too caught up in the academics." I shook my head, appalled.
Convocation started and a bunch of people announced different activities coming up. Then Dr. Bietz stood at the pulpit. He made some remark about all the activities and then said, "But don't forget the real reason why you're going to school here. . ." As he paused, I wondered what he was going to say. Spirituality? God? What's the reason we're going to school here? " . . .the real reason why you're going to school here . . . academics." There you have it. Straight from President Bietz's mouth. Southern is about academics. If Southern was about academics for me, I wouldn't be here. The music department? Pshhhh, I could be getting a much better and cheaper academic education else where. (I mean band? Really!)
So why did I come to Southern? I went to public school. In high school I decided that I wanted to attend an Adventist school. I thought to myself, It will be nice not to have to worry about doing stuff on Sabbath. It will be nice not to explain why I don't go to dances. It will be nice to have people who understand why I eat strange food. It will be nice to be around Adventist young people. But you know what, I've gained a lot more than just fellowship and acceptance of my "strange" ways. I've grown into a deeper relationship with my Savior. Grades won't matter in heaven. You won't show up with "Straight A Student" written on your crown. (I'm not advocating being a lazy student. . .) What matters is that person you helped. The encouragement you gave someone when he was having a bad day. The service you've done for others. The time you've spent with Jesus. So why are you at Southern? In my last months here I hope to take full advantage of the opportunities I am given to grow in Jesus Christ--to start being a missionary here at school. After all, it is Southern Missionary College, right?
