Close The Window To Your Heart

Earlier on this week, I was reminded of one of my favourite professors who taught us last year. He had everything of the anthropologist look: An outdated Russian hat, a long winter coat, big winter fur boots, thick glasses, specific mannerisms, spoke mostly from personal experience and had no notes; he had everything to charm his enraptured audience.

What a breath of fresh air it was to be taught by a professor who, when teaching on the religions of the Book, didn't dedicate 15 minutes of his allocated time on apologies. Apologising for having to teach on Christianity, and ensuring himself in all possible ways that in no way did he adhere to those beliefs. Instead, when differentiating God from gods, he left us with this question:

If God is infallible, all-knowing, totally just, transcendent, perfect, omnipotent, compassionate, eternal, faithful, trustworthy, holy, impartial, unchanging ... how could people have invented God, He is the absolute opposite of us fallen beings.

What brought him back to mind was a comment made by one of my current professors who said that a born again christian used to teach the module "ritual and belief" but because his main readings were taken from the Bible, his colleagues deemed it wise to replace him with someone less 'Bible-inclined'. It turned out that this "born again christian" in question was the very professor I mentioned earlier.

On that same afternoon, while I was sitting in my ritual and belief seminar, our lecturer inquired about us, the courses we were on and our beliefs. He then continued to say that he had been brought up in a christian environment, had had christian higher education, had been a missionary in Cuba, and didn't believe in God.

Still on that same afternoon, the gospel choir was practicing in the room next to where our seminar was taking place. The windows were open, letting not only the crisp autumn air in but also the jubilant songs of praise in five part harmonies. It made me smile. The timing was ironically funny.

Funnily enough, the windows were quickly shut, keeping those boisterous songs about Jesus well out of our deep discussion on sufficient and necessary causes.

The urge to keep those "born again christians" and gospel choirs out of the way only makes me wonder why it bothers people so much, if there really is no truth to or in them.

My ears are currently seduced by: Jason Harwell - Alive In The Fall