Coke Zero, The Reformation, and Student Loans

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. – 1 Corinthians 13:8

Last week was affectionately labeled Reformation Day. This is meant to be a day where we celebrate Protestant reformers like Luther who broke away from the religious establishment. While we could talk at nausea about the necessity of such a day, I realized that many used it to bring up old debates and facts. If Calvinists like one thing, it is intellectual debate over the condition of man and God. Monitoring these conversations gave me a humble discovery:

Since my religious schooling experience, I have forgotten a lot.

I mean at some point I remembered the dates and figures that made up our rich history and were able to discuss respectfully. Now however, I am hard pressed to bring anything compelling to the table of historic intellectual aerobics. Perhaps it is a consequence of being in the autumn of my youth, or maybe my love for Coke Zero and the sugar substitute that have stolen my memory.

Or it could be something else

Maybe those details do not matter completely. I was struck by how little I use my training in my current state of ministry. And this is normal. Many of us go off to school to learn, only to be retrained once we accept a position (or keep looking like so many my age). We like to think that advanced academics teach us resolve and determination, but I think I learned more of debt and capitalism than I wished. Not only this, but I believe although we learned solid history and doctrine from incredible professors, it is only the most necessary of data that rises to the top.

What is truly important tends to float into our consciousness regularly

Sure, I have long forgotten the date of the Reformation as well as that theologian from Switzerland (I think his name has a Z somewhere in it . . .), but I have grasped a more practical approach to both ministry and faith. The pragmatism of education tends to thrive in youth while being displaced with age.

So here’s to the wealth of knowledge I once knew, and the useless trivia that will never escape me.