today i happened across this news story regarding the current scandal at oral roberts university via fark, and it brought to mind a lot of memories and reasons i left that school almost 9 years ago.

it’s also curious to me, as i was recently asked by a friend of mine about my time there, and admittedly for me it is a weird period of my past that seems somehow separate in my mind from the rest of my life and even a little bit surreal. to remember my experiences there, it’s almost like re-entering an entirely different frame of mind, living in a completely different world. the rules and regulations aside [like going to chapel services three times a week and wearing a dress shirt and tie for everything], that’s not even the part that really got under my skin. i think it was more the lifestyle.

while i was there, it seemed normal, like the constant religious references for every facet of life were just commonplace. we had big-name religious figures coming through and speaking constantly, some on book tours, some coming to make appearances on the school’s TV network, and so on. the students and faculty dressed to look nicer than most people walking around. the architecture was monstrous and gaudy, with strange shapes, huge sculptures, gold tones just about everywhere.

most of the money and attention went to the school’s TV network and sports teams. speakers who came through talked about riches and wealth and “god’s blessing” as they wore their armani suits and gold jewelry. they talked about lives changing, saving souls, a new generation… all to sell a new book or CD or video. major conferences would come through, some costing hundreds of dollars to attend, and all with their own brands of merchandising.

this wasn’t training students to look for and meet the needs of the poor and less fortunate, this was religion for the rich… the religion of the rich making themselves richer in god’s name. lots was said about doctrine and discipline and giving – not necessarily to the poor, but to the church and/or directly to the speaker who was busy “doing god’s will.”

i don’t really mean to mock the school or my experience there, just that i always found it disingenuous and felt a rather large disconnect with the rest of the world. yes, good things can and do happen in settings like that, but the blatant commercialization was something i consider quite hypocritical in comparison to biblical teachings and something i’m hypothetically sure jesus would have thrown clear out of the church setting. the current scandal kind of affirms my fear about that place – that that kind of disconnect and easy access to wealth via people donating their hard-earned cash has an almost guaranteed tendency to corrupt. i’ve seen it happen in all too many “ministries”…

which isn’t to say there weren’t parts of my stay there i didn’t love. i made some good friends and have since lost touch with them all, and though most of the professors were very forgettable, one made a very strong impression. dr. johnny mac allen was an older gentleman and a great professor who cared about his students, always encouraging us, finding out what was going on in our lives, and going out of his way to get to know us as people and not just as students. usually that was even the process of his class sessions – asking questions of us all, finding out what challenges we faced, giving us inspirational handouts so we always left feeling better about our day and eager to go back to his class again.

i still remember the “final” for his class… it was the same process, him asking about us, what each of us were going through, and then he passed out the test, gave us a little time, and then told us to pull out our books so he could tell us what the answer was. then, at the end of the semester he sent letters to each student’s parents to encourage them to in turn encourage us as well and to pass on how privileged he was to teach students like us. to this day i don’t think i’ve met anyone who has impacted me with as much genuine, sincere kindness.

however, in looking him up online tonight i was saddened to find out that he died last year… i feel really bad because in all the thoughts and memories brought up recently about my experience at that school, he was probably the brightest memory of it, and even though i’ve not spoken to him since i left the school i was hoping to be able to find a way to send him a note of thanks. and come to think of it, he’s probably the first person i’ve known who has died that i shared any real, strong connection with… i really do miss his class and i know most of his former students probably do as well.

-aytch

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