I thought that today's talk about Leeper's class was so intriguing!
I have to say that I disagree with those who have a hard time with this class because of how Leeper challenges the way that you think. In fact, I must say I believe the opposite of what many thought! After Leeper's class I leave invigorated, challenged, and thought provoked. It made me think of my educational psychology class we discussed learning in the visual aspect of a person sitting in a chair. He stated that learning is like sitting in a chair while leaning on the back two legs. When we have all four legs on the floor, we are bored and don't learn anything, AKA not challenged. The other option is that we are falling back on our backs because we are overwhelmed with the concepts and do not understand what is being taught or challenged too much. But, there is a third action moment that we seem to forget about. That moment in the middle where you leaned too far back and are in suspended animation about to fall, and not comfortable in your chair like the way that you started out. That is the place where you learn the most. We aren't comfortable anymore, and yet we haven't hit the ground yet, either on our backs, or back on all four legs. It is that area that I feel that Prof Leeper keeps us. He keeps us just on the brink of falling but not on the ground. He challenges us to question what we believe, who we are, and where we are going, not to confuse us or hurt us. In fact, I believe that is the last thing on his mind!
I am left wondering several questions after this class. Thesis statement (or paragraph) drum roll! Why are we so offended when we are challenged to look at things a new way? Are we afraid to be wrong? Why aren't we more open to being wrong so that we may learn to be right and thus help people to learn a better way of viewing the world? We hate even the possibility of being wrong so much that it restrains us and keeps us confined in our own self-defined box instead of letting us learn more about our infinitely amazing God that is not constrained by the box that we seem to construct for Him. Isn't that what we as artists and film makers called to do? Break the boundaries of what people once thought and challenge them to really think about their beliefs? And if we are being restrained from learning more about our God, ourselves, and the human dilemma, how are we to challenge others if we aren't really letting ourselves be challenged ourselves?
I go into my classes, and really my life with an open mind with a knowledge that I do not know everything and that by looking through someone else looking glass, I can learn about others and also myself. The way that I think that we should view Leeper's class is through the view point that his job IS to challenge us. When we get out into the "Real World" we are no longer going to be sheltered by our parents faith, by our pastors basic Bible teachings, or our (notice the quotations!!!) "Christian Education." Once people find out that we claim to be Christians, we are going to be challenged into everything we believe. You will be watched, scrutinized, and judged. The world can be cruel and harsh and unforgiving. In a famous quote, Rocky Balboa said this,
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody else is gunna hit you as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. Cuz that's how winning is done. Now, If you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you are worth! But, you gotta be willing to take the hit and not point fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him or her or anybody. Cowards do that and that just ain't you. You are better than that."
Wow! words to live by! We are college students now. This is our opportunity to take our faith, relearn it, and accept it as our own. This is MY God. This is the God that I believe in and I know I will never understand Him but by gosh, by golly I am going to do the best I can to continually learn more about Him and follow His will! We are never going to understand His plan. We were never meant to! My question for you, those who read this, is how hard are you willing to get hit before you get overwhelmed? With Prof Leeper, this is a man who has a deep love for God. How are we going to stand up for ourselves in the "Real World" if we can't take some smack from him? In any profession we take upon ourselves as where we belong, there will be critics, people who will do whatever it is in their power to overwhelm us and take us down. This right now is our preparation for a world that is often against us. But, I also want to note that this is also a world of beauty despite it's "falleness". I think that is one of the most important things we can do as Christians in a world of such heartache and pain. WE are the Salt and light to a world of Darkness and wrong. To find simple beauty in the pain.
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV says, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." Have strength in what God has planned! The areas that we fear the most are the areas in which we trust God the least. If you fear, fear God. Because if you fear God, then what else is there left to fear? Trust that the Lord has put you were you are right now for a specific purpose and be open to being challenged by what is ahead. The road of being a Christian was never claimed to be easy. So the Challenge is this:
Will you allow yourself to be challenged and maybe reconsider everything you thought before in order to be changed and a new creation in Christ for the better? Will you learn to accept your faith as your own and use this class to build it up?
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