Page 90 - EMCAPP-Journal No. 7

Christian Psychology alive

John Auxier

On Teaching Forgiveness

Introduction
On a Saturday afternoon last April, at our John Auxier is
institution’s annual graduation ceremony, I Dean of Trinity
found myself wondering why I no longer felt Western Semi-
at home participating in the service. Over the nary and Asso-
past few years I must confess that I have felt a ciate Professor
somewhat disconnected from the celebration of Marriage &
around me at graduation. Some years I actually Family Thera-
found myself running late for the event as if I py, at Trinity Western University,
was dragging my feet to go. Sitting on the plat- Langley, British Columbia. Dr. Auxier is a
form or in the pews with my colleagues, I would Clinical Fellow of the American Associa-
dutifully step forward to fulfill my administrati- tion for Marriage & Family Therapy and
ve role in the program, but it felt a bit empty. In scholarly interests include Forgiveness,
the noisy lobby afterwards, with all the parents, the Integration of Christianity and Psy-
friends and families joyously milling about, I chology, Transhumanism, and popular
might be introduced to a person or two, have culture (Comic books).
my picture taken perhaps, but generally felt like auxier@twu.ca
a stranger in the crowd.

Reflecting upon this sense of estrangement All this was running through my mind at last
this year, I realize that it probably relates to my spring’s graduation, when I received a “gift” that
shifting from being a fulltime faculty member/ reminded me of why I entered into teaching in
program director to my current split role as the first place. In the lobby after the ceremonies,
half-time Dean. When I was teaching fulltime, I I had a number of encouraging exchanges with
was quite immersed in coaching and mentoring students about my teaching. One middle-aged
students, and championing our graduate coun- Masters in Counselling graduate insisted on
selling program. Every counselling graduate hauling me over to where her entire family was
walking across the stage at those earlier gradua- seated and publically recognizing my contri-
tions I had a meaningful connection with as a bution to her success in the program. A young
teacher-mentor. M.Div. graduate introduced me to his father,
who was also a pastor. The student said, “I loved
Although I still teach, (both in the M.Div. and your pastoral counselling course, it was one of
in the counselling programs), I no longer have my favorites in my studies at ACTS”. His father
students in their first semester when they are chimed in, “Your community resources note-
first being enculturated into graduate study, book assignment was so good that I stole my
nor do I teach extensively in the curricular son’s to use in my ministry!”. It had been a long
core, where professional formation assignments time since I had heard such encouraging feed-
gave me insights into the personal stories of back on graduation day. It was food for my soul.
students. Where I used to teach more semester But the most significant interaction I had that
long classes, which afforded 12 weeks to build last April was from an M.Div. graduate named
relationships, I now largely teach one week mo- “Roy” [not his real name] who had taken my
dular courses with limited contact hours. The course on theological issues in counselling. I’d
net result is that often I can’t remember student like to share Roy’s story as a concluding case
names by the time graduation rolls around. Af- study to this essay.
ter all, I only have had them for a single class (or In the body of this piece, I want to talk first about
maybe two) in the course of their studies. the culture of seminary education and our for-
mation as those called to teach, then share my
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