Bethel University - Spire Yearbook (St Paul, MN)

Page 32 text:

But approving and condemning people isn’t the point. Neither is staying out of trouble. The real issue is living out the act of love. So what is love? When the prof began talking about “unconditional positive regard” it seemed a rather simple concept. It somehow seems very crucial, even very Christian (and this is a psychology class). People need to know that no matter what they do, their value as human beings will not be questioned. My circuits are humming. Unconditional positive regard sounds suspiciously like a Biblical concept, an elusive yet crucial phenomenon called love. necessary for psychological stability, and loving is an imperative for Christians. I sense a dynamic link between the two concepts. I guess I should be careful not to over-simplify the concept of love. And maybe equating unconditional positive regard with love seems like a rather simplistic idea to gather from an

Page 31 text:

0» So what does God really want from people anyway? It seems ridiculous that after all these years of calling myself a Christian I could still be asking that question. When I think of my life, it just seems like a confusing stream of do's and don’ts, and when it comes to making important decisions I’m stumped half the time. And when I'm not stumped. I usually find out later that I goofed. All I really know for sure is that I’m supposed to do something called love. But that seems too abstract. I mean, sure I love God and people and so forth, but so what So I get gushy feelings, and sometimes I help people (if it’s not too inconvenient). Actually it's easier just to follow some do's and don'ts than to make the effort to find out what it means to love in every situation. I can just try to be reasonable and do what people expect of me. I can approve and condemn according to the norms of this Christian society, and that way I’ll stay out of trouble. ■

Page 33 text:

education that is costing thousands of dollars a year. But for me it has cosmic implications. All the time, money and effort begin to look like they might be worth it. not because I will emerge from college a competent professional, but because I might be learning something about carrying out the greatest imperative in the universe — love. JM