More Remembering

The other piece to remembering why I came to Divinity School is remembering where I came from.  I get to do this every time I go home for a break.  Seeing old friends and being with family in the place I grew up reminds me of how I became the person I am today.

For example, my parents homeschooled me for 8 years, during which time I had more opportunities to read the Bible than many of my peers.  While I tend to bash Christian fundamentalism these days, I also recognize the value of having a Bible-centered education.  In New Testament last year, I was able to thoroughly enjoy class discussions and papers, while many of my peers were reading certain passages for the first time and struggled to remember the content of various epistles and distinguish between them.

In my theology coursework, I was exposed to various ways of conceiving of God and our relationship to God.  (You can't say "Him" in class, because some people allow for the possibility of God having a female gender.  Interestingly, there is Biblical support for that claim!)  For class, we read womanist theology and the story of Hagar and Ishmael.  I was able to write a paper agreeing with womanist thinking while expanding it based on a detail in Hagar's story that the theologian had failed to address.

My friends at home generally aim to please God through more "conservative" lifestyle choices, which differs from some people at Divinity School.  Ever since college, I have had to hold fast to certain personal decisions regardless of what others around me did or thought, and that has been true for this season as well.  For whereas I don't believe there is only one right way to live, I know that certain decisions are best for my personal health and faith.  When I go home to my friends, I remember why I made those lifestyle choices in the first place and am reminded that there are others doing the same.

Lastly, when I go home, I am surrounded by people who look like me, which is strengthening for my identity.  Yale Divinity School often feels like a black and white binary, with Asian students coming from abroad and not really from Asian-American contexts.    While I have never quite identified with Asian-American culture in SoCal--I grew up with homeschooled white kids, and my family attended several multi-cultural churches--it's still a part of where I come from.

My hope is to stay in better touch with SoCal folks this semester.  My schedule should be less insane, and I will be preparing to leave Divinity School and distance my heart from the bubble-like atmosphere.  It will be good for me to constantly remember the places and people who have contributed to the person I am today!