Lester W. Knotts,
English,
United States Military Academy

[ Feb 15, 2009 ] — A few years ago, I was leading a discussion in a first-year literature survey course. We were reading a poem that alluded directly to New Testament scripture concerning the Holy Spirit.

Since the theme of the course was power (of words and of narrative), I asked the students to identify the narrator’s concept of the source of power. When one student responded that the narrator believed in the Biblical God, another student immediately reacted:

“You can’t say God in here.”

He had been told by his teachers that references to God and the Bible were forbidden in an academic environment. I thought of that incident this last year when I returned to the university where I earned my terminal degree; I spoke to graduate students about how to minimize difficulties and achieve success as they were working through their graduate experience.

After lunch I was invited to the podium where I related some difficulties I had encountered getting through the Ph.D. program: contrary professors; too much work; infighting on the dissertation committee.

I was trying to finish my doctorate in three years, an inordinately short period for the work that often takes more than twice that long to complete. I told the large group of faculty members, administrators, and graduate students how I coped with graduate pressures through discipline, a regular fitness routine, time management, accountability partners, and the help of university resource centers. What I omitted was the role of the church and the tensions created with certain professors because of my overt Christianity.

How Did You Keep Smiling?

Among the people in the audience were some familiar faces. When I finished speaking and took questions, a peer who had been an eye-witness to the professional and spiritual challenges I had endured asked a question:

“I know you had more than your share of opposition as you went through here. We can see that you overcame those challenges. What I want to know is: how did you keep smiling throughout the whole thing?”

“The presence and assurance of God,” I thought. But since we can’t say God in this mixed, secular-academic on-campus forum, I demurred and said we could talk about that matter privately, after the luncheon was over. The next question from another part of the ballroom was similar, insisting that I tell the gathered students and faculty members how I was able to remain content in the face of the consistent opposition that I had described in detail.

I looked to the head table for rescue from what was about to become a sermon on faith that could potentially ruin the entire secular event. No help. When the third question came from the group demanding to know the source of my contentment, I finally asked the organizer if I could talk about God and the Bible. She told me to speak freely.

God showed Himself. I was compelled to tell them that God had assured me in my first weeks of study that I was going to finish on time, within the three years, and that I would come away with the degree. With that sure knowledge, all I had to do was stay in communication with the Lord, work to hit my marks for course completion, comprehensive examinations, and dissertation drafts.

Now, years later, the Lord was offering me a chance to see that my cheerfulness, and His peace, during those former times had been affecting people I hardly knew. And then He let me give to some of those same people what He had given to me: knowledge of and the option to choose God, even in the academy.

© 2009 Lester W. Knotts Used by permission of Faculty Commons