The Juxtaposition of Study

Once in a while, I am brought up short in my studies by what seems to be the coincidence of the convergence of lines of study. This, of course, happens all the time, and so should no longer strike me as a novelty. Still, it is interesting how often when we study what we believe to be independent lines of pursuit that we find our separate subject matter shines light on other areas we are also pursuing.

This assumes that our studies are not so singularly focused that we are essentially pursuing one line of thought at a time. Most of us do not have that luxury. As a pastor, teacher, parent, and aspiring scholar I find myself in multiple studies at the same time, often reading several books at once. (That should be the subject of another entry someday!) I do not often intentionally plan for my studies to converge, yet they do more often than probably I recall.

I have begun reading a book on Heaven for a Sunday school class in which I am participating. The author speaks often of how important Heaven was for the early church, and how in recent times we have begun to push teaching about Heaven to the periphery of theology. His emphasis on the expectations and aspirations of early Christians meshed nicely with my own interest in the patristic period.

That alone was not the coincidence. I have begun to pursue study in the area of eschatology in the second century. (This is part of the reason I began re-reading Irenaeus.) I am interested in the early church's teaching on Heaven, Hell, the afterlife, and the end times. So my required reading for Sunday school may very well provide me with information I can use as I look into this area of study.

In a way, life has continued to be like academic study when it comes to how and what I am learning. I don;t always get to choose just my favorite subjects, and I usually have multiple "courses" I am studying at the same time. Not all of my studies go into academia (I am currently beginning to learn ASL, for example), but altogether they serve to provide me with a greater understanding of God, the world, and myself. This makes me better able to serve in my various capacities in a way that honors Jesus and is effective in ministering to others, whether as an educator or a servant.