Well Written Wednesdays: Prof Westblade edition

If I could sum up everything I learned from the Blade, it would be: Trust God.

As a religion professor, the director of the Hono(u)rs Program, and my academic advisor for the first two years Professor Westblade led me on many an intellectual jaunt. And several geographical jaunts too: Philadelphia, Gettysburg, Boston, Concord, Turkey. Like Dr Somerville, he listened to my angsty ramblings about faith, Scripture, and then dispensed priceless counsel. Over and over again. Intermixed with terrible corny jokes.

In his classroom, my understanding of God exploded outwards and upwards. In his office, my faith in God sent down deeper roots. It is safe to say that the Blade (along with Dr Stewart, who comes next week) exercised the greatest influence on my worldview-- my understanding of God, of creation, of human society, of myself-- while I was at Hillsdale. And those two weren't even in the English department. Yay liberal arts.

The marginalia of Prof. Donald Westblade. 

Introduction to Western Religion
"Sometimes the will of God sounds like spinach."
"The only one who ever gets to be the devil is me."
"Faith is not a blind leap."
"If you ever have the opportunity to try a time machine, I do not recommend the 13th century."
"Do we boast in Calvin rather than in Scripture?"
"The wages of trust is justification."

Old Testament
"In the beginning was a foblemorp."
"Sin does not swoon when you walk in the door."
"God was the great Burger King in the sky."
"Well, now we come to my area of expertise: sin!"
"Do we want the nanny state to protect us from everything?"
"The Bible is a funnel shaped story."
"God is characterized by surplus."
"Maybe I'm flirting and you should report me to Central Hall!"
"Motives define actions."
"I wish all of you the beauty of Sarah in your nineties."
"Faith is for people who sin, not those who are already righteous."
"Naomi learns that her pity party was premature."
"God will pay attention to anything done in His name."
"Some of the prophets were dancing cheerleaders!"
"The ritual law is the means by which Israel is selected, not saved."
"Oligarchies are paranoid sorts."
"Kings only record their victories."
"Jesus went and got killed! Messiahs aren't supposed to do that!"
"Everything echoes everything."
"The divine Word takes over your life. You can't leave it at the office."
"We get some extra Jesus today."
"Rebekah, you're going to need a very special husband."*

Jonathan Edwards
"God is not a vacuum cleaner."
"You can't have animals in the parlor with the sherry!"
"This is a scouring pad for the heart."
"We are still in a funny parenthesis."
"History is not a science experiment."
"God's glory is a liberal art."

*True dat.