Dear Members of the Trinity Western University Community,
Life is marked by the gift of people and events that play a decisive role in who we become. When we least expect it, God shows up, inviting us into a new future of hope and renewal. When God does this, however, the shape and direction of our lives can be completely redrawn.
In my first week as a university student, I enrolled in a two-semester history course called “Jesus and Interpretation.” My professor, a Jewish convert to Christianity, insisted that Luke was writing as a historian—yes a person of faith, but also a person who valued history. Providing an orderly account based on “eyewitnesses and servants of the word” (Luke 1:2), Luke records these words from Peter’s sermon:
“Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you…this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.” (Acts 2:22-23)
It was as if I were hearing these words for the very first time. Here I was, in a decidedly secular university, being confronted by the power of God's Word. Quite apart from anything I could have anticipated, the words “This Jesus God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32) struck me deeply. I was faced with an entirely new calling for my life. I had to ask the following kinds of questions: what was I striving to do with my life, what did I believe, what could possibly equal the call to be a witness, to live so the light and truth of God’s action would be known?
You see, there are many, many worthy endeavours that demand our attention, but none so vital as the call to offer a faithful, clear, and compelling witness to this fact:
“God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power.” (Acts 2:24)
In a world torn apart by resentment, violence and war; in a world crying out for peace, there is no greater source of hope than the victorious and risen Christ. No greater foundation for confidence in the direction of history than the fact that death is not the final word. “God raised him up…” and in the same way, God will also deliver us from our present alienation and brokenness. Indeed, the power and merciful presence of God is a source of tremendous comfort.
May the One who raised Christ from the dead, strengthen and empower you for lives of faithful witness. On this Easter Day, may you experience tremendous joy in sharing the good news that Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed!
Grace and peace,
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.