Old Main, on this her Christian college campus, always put her
in awe. The newer buildings might be more impressive but they
lacked....they lacked.....history and tradition. Julie always felt a
little bit nervous when she spoke one-on-one with Professor Miller. It's
not that he was mean or overbearing or arrogant but that he was so
confident in what he had to say....but then he was the professor and she
the student. Still she wanted to show him she had a mind also and that
just by being young did not necessarily make one naive or
unknowledgable. Professor Miller's door never had any little
post-it-notes or comics or articles on it like most of the other
professors. She wished that it had for she might mention the comic to
break the ice. She knocked twice.
Come in!
Julie opened the door with confidence...no slow turning of the handle with a peek inside and some inane remark like 'Oh Hi!'
Professor Miller...do you have a few minutes by any chance?
I sure do young lady.
Julie walked in and just as confidently closed the door behind her.
You said that your door is always open to discuss something from class in a little more detail.
She waited for a response but he only smiled.....that confident smile!
In class yesterday when you were speaking about the economics of mass migrations....
She paused but still no comment that would have helped.
Well, John Venesales made a few comments on what is going on in Syria and Europe today....and the refugees travelling all those miles with their families.....and then running into opposition from the people...
Professor Miller's hand went up to his beard as if to stroke it and his smile softened a little as if to show interest. This was good...she thought.
Well, he went on for about five minutes and when he was finished everyone in the class thought that you would comment on what he said but you only kind of nodded your head and continued with your lesson.
Still no comments? This wasn't going as well as she hoped.
So I was wondering if you might have disagreed with John. You see, I feel the same way as John. I have.....a passion I guess....to see that these people are helped....and so many do not want to help...This is not America!
He wasn't making it easy. So she just blurted out her question.
Professor Miller, what are your thoughts on immigration of Syrian refugees to America?
Professor Miller picked up a pen that had something written on it and seemed to read it. He then closed the book he was reading as she came in.
Julie....it's good that you have this....passion.....this compassion. I would though have some questions for you. Do you also have compassion upon a nation of 300 million people that can't tell it's right hand from its left and is rapidly squandering all of its liberties and freedoms... a nation that has now formally rejected it's benefactor....the God of all creation...and our Savior Jesus Christ, and will have to navigate the troubled seas of this world without His hand of protection, without his guidance and wisdom? Does your compassion extend to America's children who have some very difficult times ahead of them....quite possibly just like those children in Syria. Are you as passionate for families in our nation whose children have, in effect, become wards of the state...a state that tries to keep those children from God and then dares God to judge it? Julie, do fifty million plus aborted babies at least equally disturb you, or does Planned Parenethood bring out the same disgust? Do you lose sleep at night over these things. Do they bring you at times to tears? God is ridiculed in the public square and kept from our children. We are rudderless and lack vigilance as our enemies conspire against us. Julie....this....is America.
The direction of the conversation unnerved her a little even though he talked slowly and was calm. She had two pages of facts about the refugees that she was ready to give but her professor wasn't finished with these questions so she interjected...
Professor Miller...what has all this to do with accepting Syrian refugees into America?
We have enemies who are committed to our destruction. Your anger is at us Julie. It should be on those who bring this suffering. You should direct your concern to 300 million people who are arrogantly daring God to judge them, and your care to an entire world that will no longer have America, imperfect as we are, to stand up to the totalitarian tyrants of this world. Can you imagine for even a moment what terrorists may be capable of....can you see yourself walking amidst the carnage of terrorist attacks as those on 9/11...or even visualize a distant smoke engulfing a large city? Can you see Christians persecuted as they once were in the Soviet Union....or even Rome? Can you imagine even for a moment...an America lying in virtual ruins....their leaders shaking with fear at what wasn't supposed to happen.....with your family and all of your loved ones shaking with fear along with them?
Julie was not giving up...disorganized as her thoughts had become.
Professor Miller, I have faith in God. He is in control of all things. I do not fear what may happen in the future.
With this Professor Miller waxed melancholy...
Ah...would that I had your courage, but I weaken at what I see coming to our nation. But that wasn't my question. Can you....Julie Beatty....imagine these things? Can you smell the smoke if you try? Can you hear the cries? Can you see the faces of total despair?
I can see the faces of despair on the Syrian refugees!
And you are to be commended on this. I see those faces also but you are avoiding my question. Can you see your loved ones in despair, their country lying in ruins?
Julie played along and paused as she pretended to imagine what he requested. She wanted to say "OK yes, I envisioned them in my mind....now what?' but could not tell this lie. She continued with her pause. Maybe she should just say that she will not try to imagine these things.
I know that these things can happen.
That also is not what I asked.
There was no way out of it. She had to actually try to imagine what he said.
Let me help you. Just think of one thing.....an America where God was outlawed. Put yourself right there. Look around you...at the children...maybe at your own children. You are not permitted to work anywhere without denying your faith in God. But of course you will not deny it so you will not work, nor will your future husband. Those of us who say that this influx of people has to be halted at this time...see these things I've mentioned very clearly as being at our doorstep. These people who want to destroy us.... have found an answer to one of their biggest problems...how to get in here. They play upon the compassions of America...many of which are insincere fabricated compassions...politiclly motivated...and they laugh as they succeed. They know that our media is no harm to their plans whatsoever. They know that we are asleep as a people...many if not most drunken with entertainments. They are the only ones in this equation who have no compassion upon refugees. In fact they are the ones who produced the refugees.
Julie wanted to respond. All of the facts that she read in the newspaper and heard on the nightly news were floating somewhere in her head. She identified some of them but they no longer seemed to have the power of persuasion they previously had.
Professor Miller....your concerns over the Syrian refugees are....are....overblown. Its a....fear....that overwhelms you.
There was that smile again...that confident smile.
Julie.....if that's what you truly believe then yes you have to act on those beliefs. But I caution you to take this issue and read as much as you can on it, and by that I mean you have to read heavily from those sources who you have already relegated to being compassionless. You will get little to no useful information from what was once an honorable and capable news media.
I hope that you don't mean people like Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin!
That would be a good start! It's going to take time Julie. Don't rush in before you are fully prepared. You have faith in God? Does not that faith include His hand upon your mind? You seem to accuse us of having no compassion. That's a serious charge. I can tell you this, that we, many of us, have sweated bullets for decades on what we have seen coming....a populace that year by year lost the ability to think through things...whose discernment seemed to vanish more so with each Super Bowl, with each new television season...with each new springtime. If we err on this Julie it would be because our compassions have overwhelmed us....not our fears. Our faith in God is no longer theoretical.....it is already being tested.
Julie got out of her chair without saying anything and was intent upon leaving as such but turned and asked...
Professor Miller....why didn't you mention thoughts like these in class yesterday?
David Miller stood also.
In a macroeconomics class? I'd much rather that one of my students, a student with fire in her eyes, came in and demanded an answer.
His smile came back as she turned to close the door....and she liked it this time.
Come in!
Julie opened the door with confidence...no slow turning of the handle with a peek inside and some inane remark like 'Oh Hi!'
Professor Miller...do you have a few minutes by any chance?
I sure do young lady.
Julie walked in and just as confidently closed the door behind her.
You said that your door is always open to discuss something from class in a little more detail.
She waited for a response but he only smiled.....that confident smile!
In class yesterday when you were speaking about the economics of mass migrations....
She paused but still no comment that would have helped.
Well, John Venesales made a few comments on what is going on in Syria and Europe today....and the refugees travelling all those miles with their families.....and then running into opposition from the people...
Professor Miller's hand went up to his beard as if to stroke it and his smile softened a little as if to show interest. This was good...she thought.
Well, he went on for about five minutes and when he was finished everyone in the class thought that you would comment on what he said but you only kind of nodded your head and continued with your lesson.
Still no comments? This wasn't going as well as she hoped.
So I was wondering if you might have disagreed with John. You see, I feel the same way as John. I have.....a passion I guess....to see that these people are helped....and so many do not want to help...This is not America!
He wasn't making it easy. So she just blurted out her question.
Professor Miller, what are your thoughts on immigration of Syrian refugees to America?
Professor Miller picked up a pen that had something written on it and seemed to read it. He then closed the book he was reading as she came in.
Julie....it's good that you have this....passion.....this compassion. I would though have some questions for you. Do you also have compassion upon a nation of 300 million people that can't tell it's right hand from its left and is rapidly squandering all of its liberties and freedoms... a nation that has now formally rejected it's benefactor....the God of all creation...and our Savior Jesus Christ, and will have to navigate the troubled seas of this world without His hand of protection, without his guidance and wisdom? Does your compassion extend to America's children who have some very difficult times ahead of them....quite possibly just like those children in Syria. Are you as passionate for families in our nation whose children have, in effect, become wards of the state...a state that tries to keep those children from God and then dares God to judge it? Julie, do fifty million plus aborted babies at least equally disturb you, or does Planned Parenethood bring out the same disgust? Do you lose sleep at night over these things. Do they bring you at times to tears? God is ridiculed in the public square and kept from our children. We are rudderless and lack vigilance as our enemies conspire against us. Julie....this....is America.
The direction of the conversation unnerved her a little even though he talked slowly and was calm. She had two pages of facts about the refugees that she was ready to give but her professor wasn't finished with these questions so she interjected...
Professor Miller...what has all this to do with accepting Syrian refugees into America?
We have enemies who are committed to our destruction. Your anger is at us Julie. It should be on those who bring this suffering. You should direct your concern to 300 million people who are arrogantly daring God to judge them, and your care to an entire world that will no longer have America, imperfect as we are, to stand up to the totalitarian tyrants of this world. Can you imagine for even a moment what terrorists may be capable of....can you see yourself walking amidst the carnage of terrorist attacks as those on 9/11...or even visualize a distant smoke engulfing a large city? Can you see Christians persecuted as they once were in the Soviet Union....or even Rome? Can you imagine even for a moment...an America lying in virtual ruins....their leaders shaking with fear at what wasn't supposed to happen.....with your family and all of your loved ones shaking with fear along with them?
Julie was not giving up...disorganized as her thoughts had become.
Professor Miller, I have faith in God. He is in control of all things. I do not fear what may happen in the future.
With this Professor Miller waxed melancholy...
Ah...would that I had your courage, but I weaken at what I see coming to our nation. But that wasn't my question. Can you....Julie Beatty....imagine these things? Can you smell the smoke if you try? Can you hear the cries? Can you see the faces of total despair?
I can see the faces of despair on the Syrian refugees!
And you are to be commended on this. I see those faces also but you are avoiding my question. Can you see your loved ones in despair, their country lying in ruins?
Julie played along and paused as she pretended to imagine what he requested. She wanted to say "OK yes, I envisioned them in my mind....now what?' but could not tell this lie. She continued with her pause. Maybe she should just say that she will not try to imagine these things.
I know that these things can happen.
That also is not what I asked.
There was no way out of it. She had to actually try to imagine what he said.
Let me help you. Just think of one thing.....an America where God was outlawed. Put yourself right there. Look around you...at the children...maybe at your own children. You are not permitted to work anywhere without denying your faith in God. But of course you will not deny it so you will not work, nor will your future husband. Those of us who say that this influx of people has to be halted at this time...see these things I've mentioned very clearly as being at our doorstep. These people who want to destroy us.... have found an answer to one of their biggest problems...how to get in here. They play upon the compassions of America...many of which are insincere fabricated compassions...politiclly motivated...and they laugh as they succeed. They know that our media is no harm to their plans whatsoever. They know that we are asleep as a people...many if not most drunken with entertainments. They are the only ones in this equation who have no compassion upon refugees. In fact they are the ones who produced the refugees.
Julie wanted to respond. All of the facts that she read in the newspaper and heard on the nightly news were floating somewhere in her head. She identified some of them but they no longer seemed to have the power of persuasion they previously had.
Professor Miller....your concerns over the Syrian refugees are....are....overblown. Its a....fear....that overwhelms you.
There was that smile again...that confident smile.
Julie.....if that's what you truly believe then yes you have to act on those beliefs. But I caution you to take this issue and read as much as you can on it, and by that I mean you have to read heavily from those sources who you have already relegated to being compassionless. You will get little to no useful information from what was once an honorable and capable news media.
I hope that you don't mean people like Rush Limbaugh or Mark Levin!
That would be a good start! It's going to take time Julie. Don't rush in before you are fully prepared. You have faith in God? Does not that faith include His hand upon your mind? You seem to accuse us of having no compassion. That's a serious charge. I can tell you this, that we, many of us, have sweated bullets for decades on what we have seen coming....a populace that year by year lost the ability to think through things...whose discernment seemed to vanish more so with each Super Bowl, with each new television season...with each new springtime. If we err on this Julie it would be because our compassions have overwhelmed us....not our fears. Our faith in God is no longer theoretical.....it is already being tested.
Julie got out of her chair without saying anything and was intent upon leaving as such but turned and asked...
Professor Miller....why didn't you mention thoughts like these in class yesterday?
David Miller stood also.
In a macroeconomics class? I'd much rather that one of my students, a student with fire in her eyes, came in and demanded an answer.
His smile came back as she turned to close the door....and she liked it this time.
