What’s This Got To Do With Jesus?
October 20, 2009 by kristinemac
Filed under Life Stuff
I went to college in West Palm Beach, Florida at a small liberal arts institution called Palm Beach Atlantic. PBA is now a large university with excellent programs and facilities. However, when I was there, the dorms were mostly reconverted apartment buildings and the whole campus located in a bad area of town.
However the school was in Florida…big points there…and marked the first time I'd ever been away from home on my own for any length of time. I loved college and it was a great experience for me. Palm Beach Atlantic was where I first discovered I could live successfully on my own and was where I eventually met my husband, Thom.
While there were better schools and programs I could have attended, I wouldn't trade my time spent at Palm Beach Atlantic. The people were what made college stand out for me. Friends who taught me a lot about life in the short time I had to spend with them.
Once we all graduated and went our separate ways only a few of us kept in touch. However, with the advent of internet social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, my husband and I have recently been able to re-connect with people. Keep up with the activities of a lot of college friends and acquaintances.
Some time in late August/early September, my husband had the opportunity through Facebook to connect once again with his best friend from those PBA years. A man named Daniel.
Now, I must confess I didn't like Daniel very much. Being a fairly straight laced, conservative minded young woman, I thought he was a little odd. Kind of a hippie lost from his own time. Daniel was the kind of guy who stood out in a crowd. He was always going against the status quo, challenging authority. A trait I found uncomfortable at the time I suppose. Perhaps I was also a little jealous of his ability to express his freedom.
As I look back now I realize all of my "judgments" about him were completely surface oriented and unfair. I didn't know him as a person, only his reputation as a rebel. Not unlike my husbands reputation…which I didn't find out was extremely exaggerated until after I got to know him and we were engaged.
Mostly I ignored Daniel's antics. However, there was one particular incident where he…and my husband…voiced a protest, and I actually agreed.
A small college when my husband and I were students there, PBA was dependent on the financial support and generosity of very wealthy philanthropists. I never quite understood it, but one of those person's apparently had put a stipulation on a donation. This person wanted one day a year dedicated to the concept of American Free Enterprise.
Being a Christian college, PBA always held weekly chapel services. Once a week students were expected to attend for an hour to hear music, a special speaker, etc. Because of this donor's request, one chapel every year was dedicated to the topic of American Free Enterprise. To my knowledge no one ever questioned the practice. For my part, I simply went along with the status quo and did what I was told to do.
Daniel apparently was not so inclined.
One year, as we were in the middle of singing the patriotic songs and listening to the speaker expound upon the virtues of American capitalism, Daniel and Thom stood up right as the speaker was beginning.
In a booming voice…not unlike an ancient prophet chastising the people of Israel…Daniel loudly demanded, "WHAT HAS THIS GOT TO DO WITH JESUS?" The two of them promptly marched out of the chapel service with the rest of us remaining stuck to our pews in stunned silence.
Honestly, you could have heard a pin drop.
I truly don't remember what happened after that. Possibly the speaker made some kind of quip or the dean of students might have addressed the issue. What stands out indelibly in my mind is Daniel. Standing there with all the conviction and passion some times only the young can muster.
Daniel and Thom were asking an excellent question. Indeed, what did any of the patriotic songs or American Free Enterprise hoopla have to do with Jesus? Were we being encouraged to give to our neighbor selflessly when we saw a need? Did the speaker remind us of Jesus words to the rich young ruler when He told him to sell everything and follow? Did any of us even notice the poor and forgotten who walked beside us as we ventured from dorm to classroom every day?
Daniel had it right. He marched to the beat of a different drummer. He wanted only to honor Jesus but others had a different agenda. I think Daniel, even then, must have understood life is too short to do anything else but stand up for the truth.
My husband and I learned yesterday that Daniel passed away on October 1, 2009. The sad and shocking announcement was delivered to us via Facebook. We have no way of knowing why God allowed Thom and Daniel to re-connect as they did back in early September. The two of them enjoyed only a few online conversations in that time. One literally days before Daniel's death.
As I think about Daniel and the infamous "chapel incident" I am reminded of the brevity of life. The importance of being true to who God created us to be, rather than conforming to the expectations of others. We have such a short time here on this earth. I know I want to make my time count for something other than the status quo. If only for that one moment in time, Daniel most certainly did.
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Thanks for your thoughts. Daniel certainly was able to think for himself at a time when many of us did not.
I appreciate your comment. He certainly was able to stand up for what he believed was right.
Beautifully written. I knew Daniel when I was a young woman… junior high…obviously he never changed. Good for him. God bless him and all that knew him.