The Blink of an Eye

 

The Blink of an Eye, By Joe F. Walenciak, Ph.D.

Dean of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships

Distinguished Professor of Business

October 2019

In October of 1982, I played my trumpet in a brass ensemble that performed at the dedication of the new JBU flagpoles which included the sealing of a time capsule that would be opened in 2019.  This was my first semester as a reluctant member of the JBU faculty.  Teaching had become a convenient option for someone who had no sense of direction in life, and I could not relate to the words on the plaque promising that the capsule would be opened almost forty years later at JBU’s Centennial.  I didn’t think about whether or not I would be there or about how the school might change over these years.  I didn’t even think about what was being sealed inside.  Nothing in the heart of this 24-year-old lost-in-life person who was barely a teacher could grasp any aspect of a lifelong love affair with JBU and Christian higher education, much less an event that was 38 years distant.

A lifetime has passed in the blink of an eye.  It was an honor to stand at the flagpoles a couple of weeks ago and witness the other end of the timeline.  A flood of memories came back, and even though the contents of the time capsule did not withstand the test of time, JBU did.  For me, JBU has not been a faceless, impersonal institution of policies but an evolving family of imperfect men and women who have chosen to set their standards high and fight the long fight for a common mission.

What have I learned during this time?  I could go on at length, but let me share three big lessons.

I have learned to be grateful and embrace civility in a diverse world that is increasingly polarized.  Since my first day, I have enjoyed great friendships with my colleagues at JBU, and I respect them deeply.  In one of my first years at JBU, I went to a conference of Christian educators where I learned that I was supposed to detest my dean and resent my colleagues in the liberal arts.  I guess I missed that memo, and perhaps my greatest professional failure is that I never learned to hate my co-workers.  Even worse, I admire and respect them!  Although we are not without our challenges, I am grateful for JBU’s spirit of love, honor, and collegiality that crosses many lines and makes JBU unique in higher education.  At JBU, I have learned that we are all necessary and important.  We are family.

I have learned to welcome amazing, diverse friendships in a world that seems increasingly separated and divided.  Growing up in rural northwest Arkansas of the 1960s and 70s, my world was a small circle surrounded by blinders.  I had no desire to travel, explore life, or build relationships outside of that circle.  JBU drew me into its intense global microcosm of 40+ countries, something that I would have never pursued by choice but has redefined the direction of my life and the nature of my calling.  At JBU, I have learned that God is very big and that His creation reflects this.  I am thankful for many amazing friends that have made my life larger and more fulfilling.

I have learned to be faithful to core values when the world says that survival requires compromise.  During my years at JBU, I have watched and participated as we have created nontraditional programs, graduate degrees, online courses, and much more.  The world has changed, competition has intensified, education has been redefined, and our ongoing existence has required God’s grace, responsible intentionality, and many difficult decisions.  It was tempting at times to save money by cutting the corners of our Christian mission or the quality of our people and programs, but those ideas never really get traction at JBU.  “Head, heart, hand” and “Christ over all” are more than convenient slogans; they are unifying reminders of who we are, why we do what we do, and how we do it.  At JBU, I have learned that short-term compromises have long-term consequences.  Challenges demand recommitment to our core values, not abandonment of those values for short-term gain. 

One thing ends and another begins.  Our Centennial marked the opening of one time capsule and the sealing of another.  I watched the video recovered from the capsule and saw faces of those who attended the ceremony in 1982, familiar faces of people who lived their lives, ran their race, left their legacy, and passed their baton.  They remain part of John Brown University, even if many of today’s JBU family do not know their faces or names.  If the Lord tarries, the new time capsule will be opened in 2069 and I will be 110 years old!  Even though I would love to see you there in person, odds are against it!  Each of us may be just a thread in the tapestry, but every thread is part of the great design.  JBU is a beautiful fabric, and I am very proud to have my thread in it.