WHERE ARE YOU GOING?...
"Then I looked up -- and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and long it is." Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. and I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the Lord, 'and I will be in its glory within'." Zechariah 2:1-5
The aforementioned passage is the description of the third vision of Zechariah's eight visions about Jerusalem. Bible scholars estimated the prophecies of Zechariah in the year 520-528 B.C. prophesying or having visions in relation to the reconstruction of rebuilding of Jerusalem after its destruction in 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar.
In this apocalyptic literary piece, three things are integrally involved or used (symbolically or real) to illustrate a point or message:
(1) A vision: A particular condition or state of Jerusalem (destroyed, unpopulated, unsecured, and no glory) into a better Jerusalem, "a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it and the Lord will be the 'wall of fire around it' and His glory is within it." (that is, restored, inhabited by people and livestock, and secured and glorified by the Lord).
(2) Use of "imagery", "symbols" (tangible signs), "figure of speech", etc.: for example, a measuring line to purposely measure the width and length of Jerusalem (the present/future state or condition), "wall of fire".
(3) Agents or people involve: People (Zechariah, people) and God (angels as God's representatives).
Trinity University of Asia (TUA) exists because of a purpose enshrined in its vision, mission, educational philosophy and programs not only for itself but for our country and the rest of the world. TUA constituents are expected to live and attain such vision and mission, and we also pray or invoke God to bless and prosper our vision and mission. The human and the divine are involved towards the realization of the vision/mission, so to speak. We do have a number of "measuring lines" or "evaluation tools" too, (or tangible signs or framework) used to gauge or indicate our present performance, condition or state. We also use the benefits of research to further aid our efforts to measure our present condition vis-à-vis our vision or mission or whatever purpose of the research may be.
Now, let me cite on a particular "measuring line" or "tool" and its latest result, with the aim to pray and pastorally appeal for us to seriously consider it vis-à-vis our vision or mission as a Christian institution, and hopefully and prayerfully, can come up with ways and means to do something good or better about it, individually or collectively.
Exit interviews are one of our "measuring lines" or "tools" being conducted by the Guidance Center. The graduating students are generally the respondents. In the latest survey (School Year 2006-2007) shared to me, the result gave me a general picture or condition of what the interview aims to know; such as in the area of Student's Growth (Social, Spiritual, Intellectual and Mission/Vision aspects) and in the area of Strength of the School (there are 14 aspects of the Strength of the School that are being asked).
Particularly, the aspect of student's Spiritual Growth has a Moderate Rate (41.4%) compared to the aspect of student's Social, Intellectual and Mission/Vision growth, each having a Strong Rate (46% and above). In the area of the Strength of the School, the item "Emphasis on Spiritual Aspects" ranks number 13 (it is the second to the last of the 14 items)!
Perhaps, you too have some comments, explanations or insights about this or have somebody to blame it on or somebody to be responsible for it. Honestly, I do not want to make excuses in this column (that is very easy to do), nor would like to ignore it either (I can do that too). But admittedly, I am very much disturbed about it…
At this point, pardon me, beloved fellow workers, if I share a bit of this disturbance by pastorally exhorting you individually and collectively; as I point out here or remind each one of us, of the two provisions of our TUA Code of Professional Ethics, to wit:
"We shall be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model. We shall serve as instructors, facilitators or learning, counselors, parents, brothers and sisters and friends to all our students."
"We shall strive to maintain out good standing in the academic community by living with moral and Christian lives because we believe that our personal lives are reflected in our work and professional behavior."
I am confident that if all of us would really put into faith-and-action this our Code, to be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model and sharing our spiritual life, growth, testimony or witness to our fellow workers and especially to our students, then the Spiritual Growth of and the Emphasis on Spiritual Aspect for our students are far better from what is being pictures or reflected in the survey results. I am also confident that if all of us would really put into faith-and-action our moral and Christian lives, our good standing are not only maintained and reflected in our work and professional behavior, but the glory of God stand out and be seen obviously by our students and fellow workers within and out of our campus.
Then I looked up -- and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure TUA…"
Let us pray: Almighty God, lead the workers of TUA and let them be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model. And as you increase the number of men and women of our university, be the wall of fire that surrounds it and be glory within it. Amen.
"Then I looked up -- and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and long it is." Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him and said to him: "Run, tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it. and I myself will be a wall of fire around it,' declares the Lord, 'and I will be in its glory within'." Zechariah 2:1-5
The aforementioned passage is the description of the third vision of Zechariah's eight visions about Jerusalem. Bible scholars estimated the prophecies of Zechariah in the year 520-528 B.C. prophesying or having visions in relation to the reconstruction of rebuilding of Jerusalem after its destruction in 587 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar.
In this apocalyptic literary piece, three things are integrally involved or used (symbolically or real) to illustrate a point or message:
(1) A vision: A particular condition or state of Jerusalem (destroyed, unpopulated, unsecured, and no glory) into a better Jerusalem, "a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it and the Lord will be the 'wall of fire around it' and His glory is within it." (that is, restored, inhabited by people and livestock, and secured and glorified by the Lord).
(2) Use of "imagery", "symbols" (tangible signs), "figure of speech", etc.: for example, a measuring line to purposely measure the width and length of Jerusalem (the present/future state or condition), "wall of fire".
(3) Agents or people involve: People (Zechariah, people) and God (angels as God's representatives).
Trinity University of Asia (TUA) exists because of a purpose enshrined in its vision, mission, educational philosophy and programs not only for itself but for our country and the rest of the world. TUA constituents are expected to live and attain such vision and mission, and we also pray or invoke God to bless and prosper our vision and mission. The human and the divine are involved towards the realization of the vision/mission, so to speak. We do have a number of "measuring lines" or "evaluation tools" too, (or tangible signs or framework) used to gauge or indicate our present performance, condition or state. We also use the benefits of research to further aid our efforts to measure our present condition vis-à-vis our vision or mission or whatever purpose of the research may be.
Now, let me cite on a particular "measuring line" or "tool" and its latest result, with the aim to pray and pastorally appeal for us to seriously consider it vis-à-vis our vision or mission as a Christian institution, and hopefully and prayerfully, can come up with ways and means to do something good or better about it, individually or collectively.
Exit interviews are one of our "measuring lines" or "tools" being conducted by the Guidance Center. The graduating students are generally the respondents. In the latest survey (School Year 2006-2007) shared to me, the result gave me a general picture or condition of what the interview aims to know; such as in the area of Student's Growth (Social, Spiritual, Intellectual and Mission/Vision aspects) and in the area of Strength of the School (there are 14 aspects of the Strength of the School that are being asked).
Particularly, the aspect of student's Spiritual Growth has a Moderate Rate (41.4%) compared to the aspect of student's Social, Intellectual and Mission/Vision growth, each having a Strong Rate (46% and above). In the area of the Strength of the School, the item "Emphasis on Spiritual Aspects" ranks number 13 (it is the second to the last of the 14 items)!
Perhaps, you too have some comments, explanations or insights about this or have somebody to blame it on or somebody to be responsible for it. Honestly, I do not want to make excuses in this column (that is very easy to do), nor would like to ignore it either (I can do that too). But admittedly, I am very much disturbed about it…
At this point, pardon me, beloved fellow workers, if I share a bit of this disturbance by pastorally exhorting you individually and collectively; as I point out here or remind each one of us, of the two provisions of our TUA Code of Professional Ethics, to wit:
"We shall be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model. We shall serve as instructors, facilitators or learning, counselors, parents, brothers and sisters and friends to all our students."
"We shall strive to maintain out good standing in the academic community by living with moral and Christian lives because we believe that our personal lives are reflected in our work and professional behavior."
I am confident that if all of us would really put into faith-and-action this our Code, to be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model and sharing our spiritual life, growth, testimony or witness to our fellow workers and especially to our students, then the Spiritual Growth of and the Emphasis on Spiritual Aspect for our students are far better from what is being pictures or reflected in the survey results. I am also confident that if all of us would really put into faith-and-action our moral and Christian lives, our good standing are not only maintained and reflected in our work and professional behavior, but the glory of God stand out and be seen obviously by our students and fellow workers within and out of our campus.
Then I looked up -- and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand! I asked, "Where are you going?" He answered me, "To measure TUA…"
Let us pray: Almighty God, lead the workers of TUA and let them be the best administrators, teachers and staff following Christ as our model. And as you increase the number of men and women of our university, be the wall of fire that surrounds it and be glory within it. Amen.
(INDEX)
