What about higher education?

Dear Brian… or Mr. McLaren, I’ve been tempted to write you an email for a long time, but I’ve always resisted because I’m sure you get more than enough emails. I finally gave in to the temptation, but feel free to skim or skip my email if you don’t have time. I included a couple questions at the end, but definitely don’t feel obligated to reply. I sent this to your website email address so that someone else can decide whether you’d like to read this.

Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your books and for your sermons on the Internet. When I read ANKOC and More Ready than you Realize a year or two ago, I finally realized at least partially why I am still drawn to Christ and Christians even though I often feel alienated by what the church says and does. You stated my questions about Christianity in ways that I was never able to, and even if you couldn’t answer the questions, I still felt better afterwards. I was almost afraid of how much I agreed with your books (if you can really “agree” with a fictional book like ANKOC). I’m still struggling to figure out what being a pomo Christian really means, but I’m pretty sure I am one.

The other thing I wanted to thank you for was your sermon about mercy and justice last Sunday, which refreshed the call I’ve been hearing from God to work towards justice in the world. Growing up as a Mennonite and going to Mennonite schools until I went to college at Penn State, I’ve heard the message of justice many times, but I really wasn’t motivated to do anything until I studied abroad in XXX 2 years ago. As a [professional], I wasn’t sure what I could do, but eventually God led me to work towards my PhD in XXX here at the University of YYY (although I’m actually questioning it now). I came here because I could do my research trying to develop a sensor for [a disease] that could be used in developing countries, and I hope to do some research in [a developing country]. All of this I am only doing by the grace of God and many people. I mention it because you have played a role in where am at now, and because I have a few questions for you on the off-chance that you have time to answer them…

1. Engineering is often correlated with the modern era and as being anti-postmodern, including in your books, but somehow I ended up being a pomo engineer (of course, maybe I’m ‘just’ an anomaly :-)… What do you think postmodern engineers will be like, especially Christian ones, assuming they will exist at all?

2. Postmodern thought is often critical of “development” (for good reason). Do you think that there is still a place for development activities (like a biomedical engineering)? If not, how do we help create justice?

3. In your sermon, you said that Jesus emphasized “downward mobility”, and I agree. However, I have struggled with how I, as a PhD student, can put this into practice. Do you think that it is even possible to do this while pursuing higher education?

Just to confirm the email you received from the Hispanic woman, I recently went to Sudan with a surgical team for two weeks, and many people there perceived the US in a similarly very negative way, although they didn’t use the Bible passage since they are Muslims… maybe someday we as American Christians will listen to their voices.

Thanks again for having the courage to speak for many of us who don’t feel understood. Many of us support you and are praying for you. God bless in your ministry, Thanks for your kind words and excellent questions.

1. Sorry if I gave the impression that engineers are “passee!” Obviously, you have an important work to do in God’s kingdom, and your calling is a high and noble one. In creation, we are given the job of continuing to develop and beautify and improve the beautiful good world God gave us. You are doing that through your work. One key need for Christians in engineering is to always question the morality of their next project; would the world be a better place with this building, device, system, or weapon? Would it be more like the world God wants? If not, perhaps an engineer must (as Jesus said) “let the dead bury their dead.”

2. Yes, I agree with you – biomedical engineering could be a real tool of justice, just as it could of injustice. Many Christians are (typically) recoiling from biomedical engineering in fear, as they have done with many other areas of human endeavor; I pray that God will guide engineers like yourself to venture into this area with appropriate enthusiasm, creativity, caution, hope, and fear. Everything in life is spiritual, including engineering!

3. Thanks for paying attention to that sermon, which frustrated a few people a lot, but also stimulated others to thought. I continue to struggle with the issues my friend from Argentina raised, as I have been doing for many years. But let me clarify – I don’t think we honor God by wasting our potential, either our intellectual potential or our earning potential. Prosperity is a good thing, and wealth can be used in great ways. Poverty is not a virtue, any more than sickness is; we try to heal both. Greed, of course, is another kind of sickness – and neither the prosperous and the poor are immune to it. I can tell from the tone of your letter that you are seeking first God’s kingdom … and with that attitude, I have no doubt that God will prosper you, and that you will use your prosperity wisely and well. God bless you