Here and There

It was a strange sensation: me being here and him being there.

I sat on my parents bed, on the phone with my father who was sitting in Moody’s plaza. It was a mix of emotions, jealousy and excitement. I love Chicago and Moody, and so does he. But luckily I still live there, but he doesn’t. So it was his chance to go back, attend Pastor’s conference, and enjoy the city and the campus again. He slept in Culby for the first time since he graduated, ate in the SDR and sat in Torrey Gray. He ate Giordonos Pizza, Garrets popcorn, rode the ‘L’, sat in the plaza on a sunny day, played racquetball with my friends, sat and listened to Dr. Nyquist preach, bought Joe’s coffee, and lived in the city, even if it was brief.

He flew in Friday morning and I came home from work that night - The first thing he says to me is this, “I miss Chicago already.” And sadly I know that feeling all too well. “Yah, me too.”

And it got me thinking about why I love Moody so much, here is number one:

As I sit here, it’s a warm, dry evening in Florida. The sun is setting, and a warm breeze is blowing - I keep the weather, but I change my setting - I move it to Chicago, Moody, the plaza.

On a night like this, I would be sitting in the plaza enjoying time with my friends. We would decide to go somewhere, most likely to get a frozen treat of some type. 

The conversation would be fluid, it would be in depth, intimate and yet casual. We would talk about our day, but in a way where we point out the details knowing that only we would understand and connect with each other’s thought process. 

We would laugh about some crazy story - and not laugh out of pity - laughing because we know it’s funny, because we can see it all playing out in our heads as if we were really there, laughing because we know “of course that would happen to you.” Laughing because it reminds us of more stories and jokes of past memories. 

We would point out how the sun hits the buildings just right and how we love Chicago. We mention a verse that we read that day, or a worship song that we just can’t seem to get out of our heads. We expound on the verse or lyric, dig deep, we see the hidden truth and theology and we let it soak in. We dissect the truth and let it invade our minds and our hearts. We let God’s truth change us, and we share it with each other. 

The conversation is sweet and refreshing - it’s like a deep plunge into a sky blue pool in the middle of summer’s heat. 

The fellowship I share with my friends at Moody is like no other, because I believe that the Holy Spirit within us is fellowshipping when we fellowship. The very reason that our time together is so fulfilling and joyful is because each piece of Christ within us is connecting and sharpening each other. In those moments the body of God is walking, talking and growing together. In those moments, iron is sharpening iron. In our laughter, hugs, and tears God is being glorified, the body is being unified, and the Spirit is at work. 

This is the first reason that I love Moody Bible Institute.

Oh thank you Lord for colleges like Moody, for friends like mine, and for a God like You.