Friday, July 23, 2010

To Change the World

Regent University prides itself on being a global university at the forefront of Christian thought and practice. Its noble mission of preparing “Christian leaders to change the world” invites Regent students into an incredible calling. As “regents” we are called to represent the King, Jesus Christ, through His Spirit on earth and seek to further His kingdom while we wait for His return. However, one may ask, how are we going to do this? What does changing the world for Christ look like? Is it even possible, or is it merely a flowery, lofty ambition that we say in theory but know nothing about in practice?

Dr. James Hunter, professor at UVA, addresses some of these issues in his recent book, To Change the World: the Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World. I was fortunate enough to listen to him speak at a conference at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in DC on Monday night. Dr. Hunter briefly spoke about his book and how it relates to the Millennial Christian’s possibility of changing the world. According to Dr. Hunter, Christians have historically taken three positions in engaging the world: “defensive against, relevant to, and the Anabaptist view.” In reality none of these have been that effective, and Hunter calls us to consider a fourth option, “faithful presence.” 

In order to change the world we must have a presence in key positions of leadership in the world. Hunter believes that culture changes from the top-down rather than the bottom up, as a rule. He emphasizes the importance of institutions and networking in implementing sustainable change in society. This puts Christians in a challenging position. Today, Christianity in America is fragmented and weak. The institution of the Church as a whole is broken and divided, and Christians are nearly completely absent from the cultural institutions that matter the most. As Mark Noll describes in The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, evangelical Christians have largely ignored higher level thinking and have practically made themselves irrelevant in larger discussions about the nature of science, art, law, politics, culture, and society. Today, if we are going to change the world we must reevaluate how we view the world, the Bible, and the Church. Christian intellectuals need to develop distinctly Christian narratives and systems for engaging all areas of society. We must find unity in the body of Christ and be well grounded in sound doctrine. Today we must have a distinctly Christian voice in all areas of society. We cannot merely buy into the relativism of the world or solely criticize the “evils of world.”  I encourage the Regent community to join me in reading this book and critically evaluating what real “world changing” looks like. Too much is at stake to do nothing.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Lighting a Fire

After almost five weeks of studying abroad, I have come to realize just how much I have to learn. Of all my experiences here in the UK, this one has probably had the biggest impact on me. While I have always agreed that learning is a life-long journey, it was not until I came to Oxford and studied under men and women who have accumulated an extraordinary amount of knowledge that I realized how true this is. Although the revelation that I will never know it all could be discouraging, I think it is actually a very positive thing to realize and acknowledge. It is exciting to think of spending a life time pursuing my interests and studying, both formally and informally, my favorite subjects. Here at Oxford, I have focused on studying history and theology. It has been such a privilege to be able to glean from the knowledge of my tutors and professors. Their enthusiasm for their areas of expertise has inspired me to wholeheartedly pursue lifelong learning no matter what I end up doing in life, and their encouragement to do so has made a tremendous impact on me.
"Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire" - William Butler Yeats

Friday, July 16, 2010

Value and Impact

I hope my work at IGE is of value and impacts the organization. In a small staff, I am involved in a lot of the work that goes on. Last week, I led devotionals and prayer for all the staff members on the security and identity offered through Christ in II Corinthians 5:17-21. Last Spring, I wrote a research paper on this passage. This was a great opportunity to share with my colleagues the knowledge I acquired through my class at Regent on the background and meaning of this text. Also at IGE, I am involved in preparing research for focus countries, assisting in travel preparation for international conferences, performing administrative duties, and writing reports and summaries. The work I do is vital to the function of the organization and enables the senior staff members to better perform their duties. Within any organization not all the work is glamorous, which most of mine is not, but it is all important. It is a great feeling to be part of IGE’s meaningful work worldwide in promoting religious freedom and peace. Knowing that my work plays even a small role in the overall impact of IGE worldwide is a tremendous feeling. It gives me a sense of purpose and meaning. Working at IGE allows me to pursue my passions and calling; nothing is more rewarding in life. However, it is also extremely humbling to know that I am just a tiny part of a larger story in which God is writing, as He continues to share and spread His love throughout human history. It is incredible that God calls all Christians to be His hands and feet on this earth. God can truly use anyone if they are willing to follow His lead.   

Thursday, July 15, 2010

My Role ...

I realize that my work at this company is aiding in its development. My coordinator Kharisma once told me, “Promotions: we are the face of Kiss FM.” Working directly with the winners lets me know how important my job is. The interns have the most communication with winners. We can make or break their listening to the station. Our conversations and the way we communicate represent this business. One day, I made a listener extremely mad. He told me he was no longer going to listen to the station. Although he was complicated and very rude I still felt bad when he said that. It hurt. Thankfully, there are other listeners and winners that express their appreciation to me everyday. Winners like that excite me and make me want to be more involved. They make me want to go above and beyond to meet their needs. I really appreciate being appreciated. I know I’ve made a lot of people happy and at the end of the day that makes me happy. Satisfied listeners let me know I am important to Kiss FM and that I am doing my job right!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Memorable Qualities

Although I do not work directly with my boss, we do constantly engage in some type of conversation. She is constantly giving me direction. I have noticed she admires the qualities of consistency and precision. She wants everything done in the same way and there is a procedure for all tasks at the station. We must abide by these procedures at all times. When it comes to precision she wants us to be aware of everything around us. For example, she wants us to ensure all documents are in alphabetical order and make sure all winners receive their prizes. She accepts that we all make mistakes but I can tell she gets really disappointed when someone overlooks something and it results in a silly mistake. From this, I have learned that it is beneficial to work as a team with my co-workers. If we work together we can reduce the amount of mistakes we make because someone is always looking out for someone.

What Supervisors Value

Through my internship at IGE, I am finding that my supervisors value a number of different things from an employee. First, I am finding they value professionalism. The working environment is different from a social or academic setting. Each organization develops their own culture and accepted norms. It is important to adapt to this culture and do assigned work with the proper format and style the supervisors are accustomed to. Secondly, I am finding that my supervisor values communication skills. Especially in a busy environment, it is important to clearly state what your progress is on certain assignments and seek out the supervision when follow up is necessary. They often have other things on their plate and can’t offer a lot of oversight. Lastly, I am finding my supervisors value initiative. It means a lot when someone goes above and beyond the norms and works with a spirit of excellence. Also, it is important to show that you are willing to work and ask for more assignments when it is appropriate. This has been a great learning experience for me thus far, and I hope it will continue to help me develop in my professional calling.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Personal Branding

The idea of a personal brand is a new concept for me. I have never thought of my strengths and weaknesses in this way before. Nevertheless, my internship at IGE has helped me discover and identify the unique value that I bring to an employer. Working in my field of interest has given me the tremendous opportunity to find and live out my calling. Within this context, I have been able to work with a great sense of passion. Researching church-state relations, current events, and global affairs in relation to religious freedom is what I love to do. As a Christian, it gives me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that this work has the possibility of assisting people in more freely knowing and worshiping God. Also, religion, government, and law are what I am interested in. My passion for this work enables me to offer employers a dedication and commitment to excellence. Employers never have to motivate me to do something I love and am committed to. Taking the initiative to go beyond conventional expectations and truly making a difference for the betterment of others is what I hope to be known for.