From Rags to (Metaphorical) Riches

At different times throughout the day yesterday I thought it was Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 

It was only Wednesday. 

Perhaps that is the best indication of my mental state these days, or what it has been anyway for the last several weeks.  Since returning from Germany and starting the new semester three days later, the days and weeks have all become one big blur, and if it wasn’t for my calendar, I would have no idea what has transpired throughout them. 

What has transpired throughout them? 

The typical events… in excess of the typical amount:  meetings, illness, early morning runs, hours upon hours of research and writing, hours upon hours upon hours of tutoring (19 hours last week alone!), presentation preparations, and a few hours here and there with friends. 

One of the most nerve-racking experiences of the last three weeks took place this past Tuesday, but consumed what felt like every spare moment from Friday afternoon through the weekend. 

What was this nerve-racking experience? 

Presenting an academic response to a section of N.T. Wright’s soon-to-be-published new book, Paul and the Faithfulness of God, in our weekly New Testament Seminar.  The topic was Paul’s revised understanding of ‘The Problem of Evil’ after his conversion, with the imbedded question of ‘Plight and Solution’.  If you have no idea what that means, I don’t blame you.  I barely know.

The last time I presented anything of an academic nature in a properly academic environment was my senior year of college.  Eight years ago.  Then, it was to my undergraduate peers who knew nothing about what I was presenting.  On Tuesday, it was in front of Professor Wright—a former Bishop and current world-class New Testament scholar, a handful of other faculty, and about 30 postgraduate students—only one of whom was female.  Such is life in this field. 

I’d suggest that I’ve gone from rags to riches in the last eight years, but I’m currently

more poor than I’ve ever been.    

I love public speaking, so it was a great experience.  And I’m thankful for the metaphorical riches, even if the literal riches are yet to come. 

Right.    

Here’s a glimpse into the experience.  The majority of the people are behind the round table, with about ten seated at it.  I like the picture below because the chap in the chair in the background looks like he’s sleeping.  Upon inspection, his eyes are open, but he looks rather comatose.  I blame the room temperature.

Here I’m sure Professor Wright is checking what I’m saying against his Greek New Testament in order to refute my ideas in his response.  Or perhaps he’s simply memorizing the last 5% of the Greek New Testament as he patiently waits for me to finish my drone.  

Notice the date engraved into the fireplace behind us: 1537!

And now I need to write a sermon for Sunday; it will be my first time preaching anywhere outside of Cooke City.  Unlike academic presentations, the gap between preaching then and now is only 1.5 years.  Has it really only been that long?