This past Friday, the 老司机传媒 Honors program held its second Agape Feast of this school year, the first one occurring in September of last semester. The event was set up in the Howard Performing Arts Center, with most of the event in a dining style set up. Many of the Honors Faculty, Staff, students, and their friends were present.
The feast began with a course of soups from , artisan bread and cheeses, fruits, and dessert from Bit of Swiss. The atmosphere was elegant and graceful, with a joyous feeling of fellowship and the pleasant sounds of warm conversations as people greeted each other, catching up after yet another week of classes.
After some time had passed, the praise team led out in a selection of songs focused on surrendering our hearts to God and having an attitude of worship. This was followed by lovely special music from Nathaniel Miller (sophomore, English, music, and French) and Addison Randall (sophomore, music performance), who performed an arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter" on the piano and cello, respectively. After this wonderful music, Dr. Corredera led and moderated a student panel discussion on how we can initiate ethical change in our world today.
Nora Martin (senior, English and psychology), Alex Navarro (senior, mathematics and physics), and Beaula Mangunduh (junior, medical lab science) were the panelists. Although many different aspects were explored, what specifically inspired me was that while it may seem that what we are doing at the current moment today, be it writing an email, signing a petition, or choosing to make more informed decisions concerning what we wear, eat, and support, all can have a large impact when done by many. The change may not happen overnight; it may not even happen in your lifetime. But you can take those small steps and create change, even from the comfort of your own room. There are many things out there that can be improved and changed, yet often, we believe that our contribution will make no difference. Or maybe we fear that because we can do so little compared to other people, it really is not worth the effort. Yet, as Dr. Corredera mentioned, when Jesus was talking to Peter and explaining his mission, Peter asked about what John would do (John chapter 21). And all Jesus said was that Peter was following Him, and that was all he had to concern himself with. Looking at other people’s accomplishments in the media can sometimes make us feel as though the change we are generating is not enough, so why even bother? Yet we are not to be concerned about what other people do but with what God has called us to do. Reinhold Niebuhr, a Lutheran theologian (1892–1971), put it nicely: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,the courage to change the things I can,and the wisdom to know the difference.”
After this wonderful discussion concerning ethical change and the like, the event drew to a close. The entire affair lasted about an hour and a half, yet the memories created there will last a lifetime. Honors Agape Feast was a beautiful, well-planned, and well-executed event by the Honors officers and all the student and faculty volunteers who helped make this event possible. We look forward to what next year’s Agape Feasts will bring.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.