Friday Night Below the Crypt

U. S. Capitol

I spent last Friday night praying underneath the Crypt of the U.S. Capitol.  That might sound a little creepy, but it was actually a triumphal occasion for I was there with my husband Tim for a meeting of the Wheaton Club, his college alumni association.

U. S. Capitol

As we walked up to the south entrance, I marveled anew at the grandeur of our nation's capitol.  The blooming dogwood and tulip trees were resplendent, caught in the setting rays of the sun as it inched towards twilight.  

The Washington Monument at dusk

Besides praying for Wheaton College, our evening included dinner with friends and a presentation by Philip G. Ryken about the highpoints of his first two years as president of the college.  All this happened in a room underneath the U.S. Capitol's Crypt.

The Crypt below the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda

Among the many highlights mentioned by President Ryken were these two.   Freshman orientation now includes a preparatory week at HoneyRock Camp in Wisconsin where incoming students develop daily habits of prayer and Bible reading as keys to a walk of faith.  The acquisition of evangelist Billy Graham's manuscripts and letters by the Wheaton College Archives & Special Collections was a welcome addition to the college's archives which are considered the most comprehensive collection available for researching American evangelism and missions.  

Wheaton College President Phil Ryken and Tim

Like other small Christian liberal arts college presidents, Ryken has not only weathered the economic recession, but also challenges to Wheaton's commitment to stay true to its biblical teaching regarding human sexuality, human origins and the authority of Scripture.  Christianity Today recently published "Sailing Into the Storm," an interview with Dr. Ryken and D. Michael Lindsay, president of Gordon College in Wenham, MA, about the difficulties facing small Christian liberal arts colleges.  

At the end of the evening, there were opportunities to take photos in the Crypt and nearby hallway.

Tim with General Robert E. Lee

Plymouth Governor William Bradford and Cindy

As Tim & I left that night, we glanced up at "Statue of Freedom" atop the dome of the Capitol. This statue of a classical female figure stands on a cast-iron globe encircled with the motto, E Pluribus Unum, which means "Out of many, One." 

Sadly, there are many discordant voices in our nation today that make unity seem an impossibility, but we hope for the day when, as Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "God will bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ."

That is my hope and prayer!