Sam Matteson
North Texas, Physics
“It is more blessed to give than receive.” (Acts 20:35)
What we give someone can witness to many things: who we are, what we value, and how much we appreciate them. In particular, we Christian faculty can build bridges to our academic leaders by sensitive, thoughtful, and creative gift giving.
Building Bridges
I have made it a practice to give small, commemorative gifts to each president of my university upon his or her inauguration. In 2001, shortly after Norval Pohl was invested as president of UNT, a colleague and I presented him with a modern translation of the Bible on behalf of our Christian staff and faculty fellowship. We picked a Bible in our school colors and embossed it with his name. When we handed it to him we remarked, “We want to insure that you have this as you face the challenges of your new duties.”
We also gave him two smooth stones on a small marble base that read “’What do these stones mean?’ Joshua 4:21” The pebbles displayed Hebrew words, the ones spoken to Joshua just before he led the Israelites in to the promised land: “Be strong and courageous !” (Joshua 1:6) I included a letter that explained the meaning and interpreted the significance of the stones, and promised that we would be praying for Dr. Pohl’s wisdom in leading our institution into a new land.
When Gretchen Bataille was inaugurated in the spring of 2007, I became impressed that I should begin to build bridges between the Christians on the staff and faculty and our new president. I noticed how often the symbol of the oil lamp appeared in her personal iconography. Sitting in the grand convocation of her investiture, surrounded by my colleagues in their splendid academic regalia, I decided to obtain such a symbolic lamp.
I searched on-line and located a reproduction from the Royal Ontario Museum of a first-century oil lamp from Jerusalem, one like that Jesus might have used. I found a box and had it engraved with the words in English and Hebrew “And God said, “Let there be light!’ Genesis 1:3” I wrote a presentation letter that affirmed the common ground of our desire to seek the “light” of truth in our academic and personal lives.
A Spiritual Resource
When we presented Dr. Bataille with the lamp, we let her know who we were, that we shared her concern for students’ welfare, and that we were a spiritual resource whom she could call upon when needed. I asked if there was anything that we could pray for specifically. She replied that in the wake of the terrible events at Virginia Tech, that our students would become connected and no such tragedy would befall the young people on our campus.
I left impressed that it was the right thing to do. My academic leader had been made aware of the presence of Christian faculty and staff and the positive contributions that they can make to the life of a campus, even a secular university. I realized again that for the Christ-follower there is nothing that is secular; all we do is sacred business. Our profession is a calling of God, and every act a ministry to those we encounter, even in the simplest gifts we give.
© 2007 Sam Matteson Used by Permission of Faculty Commons