A Window on Faith

In May 2004 I invited about 35 of Andrews University’s best friends to Chicago to hear my vision for this good university as it enters the new century with all the changes confronting us both in our church and in the world. Three years later, the same group gathered on campus to review the progress with our plans to develop Andrews and to renew its commitment to supporting the work we do here in a major way.

This experience has taught me something new about faith and it is this: at its basic level, faith is a very personal thing. It means to have faith in someone. The university’s friends let it be known that they had faith in me, in my ideas, indeed faith in the entire university and Christian education, confidence that we can and will do what we set out to accomplish for God in this place. It humbled me to see the kind and level of faith others have in us. In return how can I do otherwise than to trust those faithful friends? Similarly on the spiritual level, if God has enough faith in us to entrust the future of this university and Christian education to our care, how can we do otherwise than to trust him and be faithful to him in everything we do. Finally, this faith principle works even in our daily life. It shows up in our families, in our departments and schools, among colleagues, with our students and in the community. It means that we will be faithful to those God has entrusted to our care.

It is wonderful to live our daily lives by being faithful, first to God and then to each other. Such faith gives assurance, and fills us with confidence. It removes pride and teaches us dependency. Faithfulness takes away fear. Jesus put it this way: “Do not be troubled –you believe in God and you believe also in me. . .”(John 14:1ff.). I am very glad that working in a university like Andrews, has taught me once again the meaning of faith through the ordinary work we do and the lives we lead from day to day.

- Niels-Erik Andreasen