Our guest speaker at the secondary virtual assembly this week was Sam Gough, the university pastor at Wellspring Anglican Church in Sandy Bay. Sam is a Calvin Alumni and was a student in one of the very first classes that I taught as a young teacher of Humanities!
After leaving Calvin, Sam went on to study medicine at the University of Tasmania before beginning his career as a doctor at Launceston General Hospital and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney.
But Sam didn’t come to Calvin this week to talk about his medical career. In fact, he ‘retired’ from medicine at the age of 32 and commenced the role that led him to our assembly.
Sam came to our assembly this week to share with the students the reason he made this change: he was following a higher calling. In his work as a doctor, Sam was able to help address the physical needs of people for the duration of their earthly life. In his work as a University Pastor, he is able to address the needs of people both in their earthly life and in the life to come.
Sam now works with international students from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds, but primarily from the Indian subcontinent. At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, many of these students were unable to access the government benefits that would allow self-sufficiency during the crisis, and this troubled Sam. Over the past few months he has spearheaded the Show Hope campaign that serves hot curries and fresh food to around 300 university students per week. In managing huge quantities of food and a large group of volunteers each week, Sam and his team are addressing the physical and spiritual needs of these students during the difficult COVID-19 lockdown period.
I wonder if Sam, sitting in his school desk at Calvin 25 years ago, could have imagined that he was destined for this role in June 2020.
The Bible is full of characters who have had similar career and life transformations. Is it possible that Joseph, Moses, Jonah and Jesus’ disciples could have imagined how their lives and vocations would have changed once they aligned to God’s will and took on an eternal perspective?
In Romans 11:33 Paul wrote ‘How great are God's riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways?’
“Following the call of Jesus often comes at a personal cost...”
Paul (at that time known as Saul) experienced a significant career and life transformation on the road to Damascus. I have no doubt that Paul, like Sam, could not have imagined the changes that would occur when a person allows God’s will to change the course of their life.
Late last year, Ineke Laning agreed to postpone her impending retirement in order to take on the role of Acting Principal at Calvin. She, too, allowed the depth of God’s wisdom and knowledge to change the expected course of her life.
Following the call of Jesus often comes at a personal cost. I am sure that Sam and Ineke, like the apostle Paul, have counted the cost when reflecting on their changed circumstances. But in allowing the unexpected ways of God, we become the people that God intended us to be. Our vocations and aspirations—supported by the unique personalities and gifts with which He created us—become aligned with His will and purpose.
As always, C.S. Lewis explicates this wonderfully. ‘The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become—because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. . .It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.’
In the Secondary School, we will be supporting the Show Hope campaign over the next few weeks and donating funds, warm clothing and blankets to those in need. We will also be raising funds through a gold coin donation free dress day next Wednesday.
You can learn more about the Show Hope campaign via their Facebook Page or visit their Go Fund Me page.
Bonny Moroni – Head of Secondary