A Week in Newark

This week has been my first back in the office after a week-long mission trip that I took with my family and other members of our church. We spent a week working with kids at a housing project in downtown Newark, New Jersey. Certainly not exotic, but it was a great week!

During the day we held a basketball camp, jumped rope, face painted—anything to interact with kids and get to know them. We then invited them to come to an evening Vacation Bible School held at a nearby multi-cultural Newark church. Our goal was simply to share the love of Christ through our actions and words.

I was struck by several things:

1) The kids we worked with craved attention and love. As soon as we walked into the project courtyard we were surrounded by kids eager for a game or a hug. It reminded me of Jesus’ words that the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Over 50—way more than we expected—came to VBS in the evening.

2) God loves the poor and oppressed—and expects the same love from me. Whether protecting women and children from human trafficking in India or just spending time with a little girl in Newark whose only jump rope is an electrical cord, part of our mission in this world is to show God’s grace and generosity to those who are poor and downtrodden.

3) I need to be intentional about sharing the gospel and serving others in all of life. It is too easy to focus on myself, my family, or my busy schedule to the exclusion of all else. Taking a week out to focus on others was a great reminder of what my priorities should be.

Bar Exam

We gathered this morning as a faculty and staff to pray for our graduates who are taking the bar exam. The bar exam is the last great hurdle between our graduates and the fulfillment of their calling as Christian lawyers. It is two full days of pressure-packed essay and multiple choice questions on just about any legal issue you can imagine. Despite my best efforts to repress the memories, I still recall the weight I felt as I sat for that exam. Two days of racking my brain. Two days of trying to recall 3 years worth of information, to use good judgment, and—above all—to sound like a lawyer.

To test takers reading this at the end of the exam, know that you were not in that room alone. You had a team of supporters thinking of you and praying for you. We prayed with confidence in you, your preparation, and your abilities. More than that, we prayed with confidence in a God who knows and loves you. We look forward to sharing your joy when you get your results.

Vacation

Back in the office today after a week of vacation. Nothing complicated. Just a week of rest at Becky’s parents’ house in West Virginia. Grandma’s house is a great vacation spot. Pool in the back yard, beautiful rural landscape, and most importantly, no schedule. I swam, read a couple of books, and watched some tennis.

My vacation book tip: Manhunt by James Swanson. Manhunt tells the story of Lincoln’s assassination and the 12-day search for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices. I know I am about three years behind the New York Times on this recommendation, but Manhunt is a great book. It is a history that reads like a novel—compelling and action-packed. It is also a history that raises familiar issues. Over much criticism, Booth’s accomplices were tried, convicted, and executed by a military commission. The debate over the military commission could have been lifted from today’s Guantanamo Bay headlines.