Humble Scholars

About a month ago, two of OCMS (Oxford Centre for Mission Studies) students completed their Ph.D. Both of these students passed the examination brilliantly and received the highest mark possible from both the internal and external examiners. One of them is a university lecturer in Romania. The topic of his dissertation, to be honest, is not easy to be digested: 'The Qatal//Yiqtol (Yiqtol//Qatal) Verbal Sequence in Couplets in the Hebrew Psalter with Special Reference to Ugaritic Poetry: A Case Study in Systemic Functional Grammar.' I said to some friends that his doctoral dissertation uses some heavenly words - untouchable by ordinary people. Jokingly, I said that this is a work applicable for the world other than ours. The title alone shows how genious the writer is. His level of thought is somehow untouchable for the ordinaries. People praised him for his discipline and academic achievement. Months ago, he expressed his plan to complete his Ph.D before the end of July 2006 and he fulfilled what he desired. One of our professors said that he has been able to manage his study plan successfully more than any other students. My view on him is slightly different: I do not deny the fact the he is a genious and a discipline student, but I found him also as a humble person. In his speech before leaving Oxford, he said, 'Let alone the plan of human being, it is only by God's gracious grace that all things happen.' Setting a plan is good, but none can be completed without the grace of God. Even being a discipline and a hard-worker student are possible only by God's grace. This simple statement has touched me deeply, especially since it came out from someone whose dissertation is full with complexity and untouchable words. The other person who completed the Ph.D is a Kenyan woman. In her speech, she thanked for her long-suffering family (husband and children) back in Kenya. Can you imagine to live without your husband and children for the sake of your research - not weeks or months, but years. It is not easy either for her family in Kenya: a lot of tears! She said, 'Women can feel that completing a dissertation is like a five years labor.' She also is a humble person. Quoting from her conversation with one of our fellows, she said, 'My Ph.D is simply God's will; If God never will, the Ph.D can never be completed.' Her 5 years labor did not serve her human ambition of pursuing doctoral degree, but as her submissive act to the will of God. Her hard work is an obvious sign of her obedience to the will of God. So what do you think? Both fellows showed that the combination of God's grace and our obedience to the will of God is the key to the blessing of the 'promise land.' I am so proud and thankful for being in this community of humble scholars. Despite of the individualistic research culture (you know and are interested only in what you are doing), God's role is affirmed. Viva to brother Silviu Tatu of Romania and sister Emily Onyango of Kenya.