The above photo is from the 1978 movie Up in Smoke (as in marijuana smoke) starring Cheech and Chong.
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I remember taking a psychology class at Mankato State University taught by Dr. Cheech N. Chong (not his real name; but you might have to be a senior citizen to understand that lame attempt at humor). This was in the early 1970’s, which of course came right after the 1960’s, which was an interesting time on college campuses. This professor was still very much stuck in the 60’s—in fact, he looked like he just got back from Woodstock. He had the whole outfit—long hair, beard, beads, tie-dye t-shirt, frayed bell bottom jeans, and was always barefoot. He introduced the class by saying this: “Hey, this is like far out, man. It is really groovy that you signed up for my class. I just want you to know I’m not into grades and all that pressure, so, anyone who signs up for my class gets an ‘A.’ I’m not on some authority trip here. There are no assignments and no tests and I don’t take attendance. So, if you come to class, that’s cool, and if you don’t ever come, that’s cool too. Whatever turns you on, man. No matter what you do or don’t do, you will all get an ‘A’.”
Well, that sounded good to me. My first thought was, “He won’t see me again.” But on the next class day my curiosity got the best of me and I went again. This time, the professor started out the class with a long Native American prayer to the Great Spirit. I have nothing against Native American spirituality. In fact, the reading I have done on that subject has been most interesting. But for him to say that prayer irritated me for two reasons. First of all, if that professor would have started out the class with a prayer to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, before the end of the day he would have been tarred and feathered, fired from his position, burned in effigy by protesting students, and then black-balled from ever teaching anywhere ever again. I was also irritated because in the “Sociology of Religion” class I had taken the previous semester, I had to sit through hour after hour, listening to the professor ridiculing religious faith of any kind. Trashing religion, especially Christianity, is always allowed in public academia in the name of academic freedom; but even one positive word said about Christianity is absolutely forbidden, due to a misunderstanding of the ‘separation of church and state’ (which appears nowhere in the Constitution anyway).
That was all the excuse I needed, so I never went to class again. I did get the ‘A’ ; and, I took that professor for two more courses. I never went to any of those classes either. Three ‘A’s just like that. But I didn’t learn anything, of course. I thought I was being clever at the time, but looking back, it wasn’t very smart. There were some really good psychology professors that I could have taken for those courses, and I would have learned much more.
It is like a silly poem about two boys going to the circus. Even before they went in, they got into some trouble with a circus worker. One of the boys, Sy, got punched. The poem ends with these words: “Said I to Sy, ‘We’ll fix them, we’ll buy tickets, but we won’t go in.’” I paid for my credits ($25 each), but I received nothing in return.
Is there any point to all this foolishness? I’m not sure, but there might be. Here is why I remember this. It was during that same time in college that I was trying to understand my Christian faith. I was told that we were saved by grace, through faith, as the free gift of God. Ephesians 2:8-9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” No works. Nothing to do. The free gift of God. But that sounded a little too much like the three ‘A’s I received from Professor Cheech N. Chong. Same thing. No work, nothing to do, and certainly nothing to boast about. That surely was “unconditional grace”– a free, undeserved gift, given without conditions– just like the Gospel.
Could that be right? If so, could I one day decide to react to the grace of God just as I reacted to the opportunity to do nothing at all in those three college classes? What then?
Over the years, I have arrived at some answers to this question. I continued to study it on my own in college; then in seminary, I learned about it on a much deeper level. After that, for forty years in sermons and classes, I tried to teach people how to understand what seemed like a contradiction: Yes, salvation is freely given, apart from anything we do; and yes, it still matters what we do. Now, in many of these Emailmeditations, I continue to attempt to deal with the question. In tomorrow’s meditation, I will try again. (continued…)
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Ephesians 2:8-9 — For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Philippians 2:12-13 — Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Galatians 6:7 — Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
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Almighty God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, establish and confirm us in your truth by your Holy Spirit. Reveal to us what we do not know; perfect us in what is lacking; strengthen us in what we do know; and keep us faithful in your service. Amen.
–Clement of Rome (first century)
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