Jessica Cunningham, Fall 2008

As I reflect on the fall of 2008, I can't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude! It was then that my life changed: I encountered the living God in a raw, real and intimate way. From the books I read to the prayers we prayed, the questions we asked and wrestled with, the ideas I pondered, the people I lived with and cried with, the Institute is where I met with God.

The things that I learned at the Institute have better equipped me to engage with any individual or community regardless of their race, age cohort, worldview, denomination, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. The Institute is, without a doubt, relevant to today’s culture solely because each class is based on God’s Word. 

Although the Institute was not as diverse as I would have hoped, I would not have changed my experience there for the world! Me being the only black person in my class somewhat reminds me of the story of Esther. If I remember correctly, while in the palace, Esther wasn’t surrounded by people of her race either. But when it was all said and done, in all God’s sovereignty, Esther was where she was intended to be. The part that stands out to me is when Mordecai tells her, “And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this.” It is without a doubt that God wanted me there at the Institute “for such a time as this.”

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