Bishop’s Law of Opposites Strikes Again

Bishop’s Law of Opposites states, “Whatever my (Phil’s) first inclination is, if I do the opposite, I am more likely to be in accord with G^d’s desires.”

My good friends invited me to come give some talks to students and faculty of the Mongolian International University (MIU), Ulaanbaatar.  I was excited to do so, and began preparing three secular talks for faculty and two Christian talks for students.

I really like to aim talks at the specific audience, so I inquired of my friend at MIU about the audiences.  I had to apply the Law of Opposites.  He told me they needed Christian talks for Faculty, but more secular talks for students.

What?  Yep you heard him correctly.

MIU was started by Koreans about 10 years ago, with a definite Christian foundation.  It recruits Mongols from Mongolia, but also the Mongolian diaspora in Russia, Khazakstan, Afghanistan, China, and elsewhere.  This results in a diverse student body.  It is both International and Christian in the truest sense.

Most of the faculty and many of the students are Christian and an impressive number show up for the noon-hour prayer meeting in the biotechnology laboratory.

It is an age-old battle beginning at the temptation of Eve.  There is a battle going on for the hearts and minds of these students, cliché or not.  I am extremely thankful for those faculty at MIU, at U of Alabama, and around the USA and the world, who are willing to stand up and be counted for the cause of Christ.  It is perhaps a bit easier to be a Christian at MIU than at UA (hence my initial confusion), but it is hard either way.

“Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried.”
Gilbert K. Chesterton

Difficult as it may be, it is worth the effort.