Collaborating With God

With those words I believe I actually began my education at Boston College. Today was orientation day for the Theology folks at BC, I estimate there were 90 of us new folks, maybe 40 Masters of Theological Studies students (which makes us the largest part of the largest class the School of Theology and Ministry has ever had...I'm pumped). The faculty seem very cool, and I am very excited to have class with the Dean, Fr. Richard Clifford, for Old Testament. But those words were not spoken by him.

Rather they were spoken by the coordinator of the MTS program, who also happens to be my faculty advisor, as well as teaching probably the first class I will take, Fr. Edward Vacek. He said to the MTS students that during our time at BC, we are basically collaborating with God to try and help out the world through doing His will, and maybe it's a basic idea, but it was really the first time I had heard it presented as such. I have previously continued to struggle with the idea of how God works through us, is it just God, is it God and us, or God in us. Can we only screw up, and can God take credit only when something good comes from our actions? (See I'm already thinking like a master's student, asking questions I can't hope to answer)

But this was something that seemed to make sense to me. God's glory will come about one way or another, but I have a chance to be a part of it, through my gifts, if I let Him in. A very cool position to be in for sure.

So with that I begin my academic adventure at BC. It's something unlike anything I've ever undertaken before, but today, I am really feeling excited for when the classes begin. But as cool as the subject matter is, and excited I am for that, what really has me ready is the people. My fellow Theology students are some very cool people, and the freedom to actually talk and discuss religion with (relatively) no fear about repercussions for talking about God or faith is an incredible feeling and reality. As Fr. Vacek put it (still feel weird calling faculty by their first names, maybe I'll get used to it in time) we can open with a prayer and assume that everyone can follow along, because our Catholic faith is our common thread. No matter where we are in it, we still fundamentally have faith in God, Jesus, and the whole shebang (please, please, please don't let anyone from BC or the Vatican who has real power to censor me read that last bit, I don't think "shebang" is a great theological term).

I am very excited, and even better, I believe I have good reason to be. I have a feeling this will be a great semester =)

"They are turning my head out
To see what I'm all about
Keeping my head down
To see what it feels like now
But I have no doubt
One day the sun will come out"

-Coldplay "Lovers in Japan"