Foot Steps

To finish the moment, to find the journey's end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

There is a lot of following that goes on at seminary. You watch and follow your older classmates, heeding their advice. You follow as you file into chapel, and sing and partake of communion. You follow as your professor recites Hebrew and important theological and historical facts. Some people in going to seminary are following in the foot steps of parents, others in those of friends and mentors. We follow God, Calvin, Knox and Luther and that other dude what was his name? Oh, Jesus. Sometimes it almost seems like one giant game of follow the leader.

So the question then becomes, how far do you follow? When do u break the repetition and take a step all your own? Is it in chapel when you clap while all the other good protestants are standing in their very proper reformed manner singing? Do you break family tradition and choose a profession all your own? Do you look at Calvin and say " You were a smart man, but I am going to have to check some of your theology at the door because frankly you weren't very nice to women?

I just received a card from my Grandmother and in it she enclosed a postcard with a picture of Keuka College the institution she attended ( It's located in NY). In the letter she commented that she had wished that she had pushed me further about attending there, she thinks that I would have really enjoyed it. While I know it is out of the love and kindness of her heart that she says this, I have to say that I am glad that I didn't because I think there are only so many people's foot steps I can attempt to follow in.

I think that is one of the harder parts of seminary, separating your steps from those of others. It seems really easy to get so used to following that you forget that you aren't meant to be a copy. That as much as you may admirer your mentors, friends, cohorts, and the admirals of history, you are not them. Finding what that means for you though is the second hardest part of seminary. (or perhaps life?)

Happy Friday!

Amanda