Senior Justin Myers Reflects on Time at DBU

The sweet aroma of freshly brewed coffee is the perfect motivation for a groggy mind that clings to bed in the morning. And the incentive of coffee’s scent is second best only to the promise of coffee’s taste. It is this same coffee-instigated impetus to wake up in the morning that becomes an aid for the focus of mind in class later on. Either the same cup, or a fresh one is adequate company in the classroom.

These are truths (let coffee-doubters be convinced!) that I have been awoken to during my time at DBU. I learned to enjoy not just the usefulness of coffee to propel my mind into action but to also love coffee for its own sake. So while for me, coffee is a stimulant for thought and focus in the morning and for class and schoolwork, it is also the best bond of joy for friendly conversations with peers, mentors, or one of my residents from Williams Top North.

It is DBU that has instigated this new-found affection in me. Late night talks with guys in the dorms or night-time studying, or both, consequently turn into the ailment of tire in the morning. This is no disappointment—I love what I do as a Resident Assistant and student. Still, coffee is the perfect, post late-night remedy. Even more, there is a certainly a coffee-culture at DBU. This is illustrated by the fact that the Coffeehouse down the hill is always filled with coffee connoisseurs, and me attempting to join their ranks! This culture has influenced my growing delight in conversing with a friend at the coffeehouse over a cup of Los Olivos fresh off the V60.

Coffee’s growth in my heart can be an analogy for the way my life has been shaped toward a Christ-centered heart and mind during my time at DBU. On the official seal of DBU is the Latin phrase Soli Deo Gloria. As a lover of all things church-history, this allusion by our university to a pillar of the Protestant Reformation—"For the Glory of God Alone”—gets me excited. But it is more than an allusion, it has been my experience here at DBU. My heart has grown more and more to love and cherish the glory and grace of God in Jesus Christ while in college.

Early-morning communion with my Savior Christ Jesus is not just the best way to start the day but the essential way. It is important to have my mind conformed to Christ (Phil. 2:5) day and night (Ps. 1:2) so that I can cling to Him for deliverance from the power and punishment of my sin (Rom. 7:24-8:1), and in turn live for His glory in whatever I do in this life (1 Cor. 10:31). These truths (let those who doubt be convinced!) have been reinforced in my life here at DBU.

Professor Hopper taught in one of my favorite courses in college, Developing a Christian Mind, to love and serve the Lord Jesus with my mind as a student. I learned that all truth comes from God, and that therefore it is His. Biology, statistics, language, the arts, humanities, or anything else to be studied in this world that reflect truth are instituted by the truthful Creator of all things. I learned to guard against a dualistic relativism that worships and sees Christ Jesus in church on Sundays but fails to worship or see His intimate work in all arenas of life throughout the rest of the week.

Dr. Matos taught me to labor in the study of ancient Greek in order to faithfully study the words that tell us of the life of Christ. Dr. Whiting encourages me daily to see God’s hand in history, in literature, and in my own life. Dr. Gandy has shown me the Christian’s place in the business world. The Resident Director of Williams, Caleb Smith, has illustrated by his life what it looks like to live and work proactively with all humility and love for others after the model of Christ. If it were not for DBU, I would not have had the privilege of sitting under the teaching, friendship, and model of these leaders.

And this Christ-centered focus does not stop in the classroom. DBU is committed to providing avenues for Christ-centered community for its students. The local church is where this Biblical community most naturally occurs, and through DBU I was introduced to the church I love dearly and serve gladly—First Irving. Still, Greek life, my former RA’s, and the many events and forums provided by Student Life are all intentional programs put on by DBU with the aim of creating an atmosphere that honors Christ and points students to Him. My growing heart for Christ has been influenced by each of these, not to mention the friends that have matured alongside me.

Over the past three (going on four!) years as a college student, it is evident that my love and dependence on coffee has increased. I must admit that coffee is the fuel for my typing fingers at this very moment! However, the greater love and dependence that I have learned here at DBU is in Christ Jesus my King. And ironically, as my love for Christ has grown, coffee has most often been the present but silent spectator along the way. I hope and pray that even this article points to the infinite worth of Jesus Christ, modeling what I have learned and seen illustrated so well during my college years. For both of these loves—Christ and coffee—I am grateful, and for one eternally so.