Renewal Dynamics

If you locate yourself in theological education, either behind or in front of the desk, as teacher, administrator, or student, where do you go to breathe? Where do catch a break from what you do all day? Well, if you are like me, you go outside. I am stuck inside most of the time, either at my desk, teaching online classes, creating new courses, researching, writing, or responding to email. If I get out of my office, my way often leads into the classroom. When I really need to get away from it all I go outside. Fortunately, I work on a gorgeous campus, and going outside is never a real challenge. It is a routine I like to protect. But something interesting happened today, as I returned from my breathing lessons. I met one of our students and as we talked about our day, he remarked that he came inside to catch some breath. The building offered a refreshing break from the demands of physical labor that characterized most of his day. He then stopped for a moment and concluded, “I guess most people go outside to get away from the inside.” He got me there! As I walked away from the conversation I thought about the alternatives. Am I just getting away from my desk? Or is my situation typical for theological environments? Are our environments conducive to theological training? 

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