Among the many things that attracted me to Fuller is the institution's commitment to equality, diversity, and dialogue. As an evangelical school, Fuller has a solid foundation in Evangelicalism's rich theological tradition. At the same time, it embraces the diversity of viewpoints among its faculty, staff, and students. Having worked in the school's student government for the past year and a half, I can testify that controversial debates are never discouraged, dialogue never stifled, and the faculty and staff always encourage honest, serious struggle with complex issues. The sort of Christian authoritarianism and dogmatism I have encountered in the past are refreshingly absent from the Fuller community. This is a testament to the school's seriousness of purpose, its confidence in the sovereignty of God, and its love for people. We strengthen each other in our differences.

As the Co-Chair of the Peace and Justice Concerns Committee here at Fuller, I've had the privilege to be at the center of some of these dialogues. In October, we helped to host a screening of For the Bible Tells Me So- a potent documentary that directly confronts the messy issue of faith and homosexuality.The screening, which took place in Fuller's Travis Auditorium, was a standing room-only event. With the film's producers present for conversation, and with our own Dr. Craig Detweiler as the moderator, people from across the political and theological spectrum came together to wrestle with this most difficult issue. The evening was incredibly exciting and moving for me, as I saw people critiquing each others' viewpoint and did so in a spirit of respect and love. A vivid illustration of what it means to be a Christian community was presented before my eyes.

Last month, we hosted Varun Soni, a young Hindu scholar and the Dean of Religious Life from the University of Southern California. He spoke to us about growing up Hindu in Orange County, the elusive definition of Hinduism, and his faith tradition's commitment to peace and justice. This was once again an event that allowed the Fuller community to engage in conversation with perspective and tradition radically different from our own, but whose resources and commitments challenged us to understand our own presuppositions and beliefs for the better.

These events and others have enriched my seminary experience tremendously, and I am excited to be at a place where such dialogue and interaction are possible.

Posted by Eugene Suen at 3:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I think I'm having a bit of a quarter-life crisis.

I'm turning 25 this year. Suddenly I am seized with this distinct, somewhat terrifying idea that I should start acting like an adult, whatever the heck that entails. When you were younger, you always thought adulthood was far ahead of you, and you assumed that by the time you reached that elusive milestone, life will have already settled down and organized itself into a neat, coherent, and secured whole. As you struggled through all kinds of issues- education, career, friendship, relationship, faith, etc, you realized that such is not the case. Things are not as certain or simple as you once thought, and that idealized sense of absolute clarity, peace, and fulfillment- which you have always expected to find in large doses as a result of hard work and making the "right" choices in life- is only found in small, ephemeral moments of the everyday. And then almost without awareness, and certainly without much preparation, you are in your mid-20s, blindsided by its sudden arrival and wondering where all the time has gone. The sense of uncertainty you felt earlier in life, which you assumed would have resolved itself by now, remains. So does that sense of inadequacy, the display of immaturity, and...well, the list goes on. (I'm not going to embarrass myself by saying more!)

The year I'm turning 25 is also my third-year at Fuller. It's been a wild ride so far. I started my study here immediately after college. Perhaps because of this, my seminary life has been a journey of self-discovery and orientation into adulthood in a way that might not be true for older students. I don't always know what I'm doing, but I continue to learn the kinds of valuable spiritual and life lessons that could only come with living in the trenches- embracing life in its messiness in a seminary setting, living it to the fullest, critically reevaluating my own worldview and presuppositions, and expanding my horizon and trying out new things without the fear of failure and change. I continue to discover new things about myself and be surprised by what God has in store. I'm still being shaped, still in the process of becoming. I don't know where this road is headed, but it's been wild, it's been scary, and it's been fun.

Each new school year signifies a new beginning. Here I am, sitting in my new, still unfurnished apartment room (I just moved in last night!) writing this brand new blog, I am feeling young and old at the same time, and wondering what this year has in store for me. The feeling of "newness"/beginning" is everywhere, and the desire to reinvent myself is strong. It struck me as I was moving over the weekend how much of my old possessions I still had to carry with me to my new place. Even in newness, the old remains. Even in transformation, we are not completely separated from our past self. Such is the intricate dynamic of life. For now, I will continue to walk and pray, asking for God's guidance in this uncertain journey of life and embracing what shall come my way. I invite you to join me in my Fuller adventure, and I welcome you to my blog. (I promise this blog will be exciting. If not I'll give you your money back.)

Posted by Eugene Suen at 10:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)