Exploring the Way Forward by the Grace of the Lord
April Lam
Th.D. Candidate
During a camping activity at the church where I undertook an internship, I had my first experience of hiking at night without a light, which means I had to move very carefully every step of the way. To me, the process of studying in the Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program is similar to that night hike.
I obtained the Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006, after which I completed a Master of Theology (Th.M.) program. Now, I am studying in a Th.D. program, which is a journey of growth for me. The M.Div. program was like a foundation course. In three busy years, I took in the breadth of the Christian world, getting a general grasp of the ABCs of Theology. Then when I studied in the Th.M. program, I began to step into the rich world of Christian traditions, learning the confessions and reflections on God of various traditions. Technically, I learned how to read and examine scrupulously the discussions of predecessors in theology so that I might understand their situations and areas of concern. When it came to the Th.D. program, I was taken to another level of proactive exploration rather than passive assimilation. Meanwhile, not only did I have to master the perspectives and discussions of a certain theologian but I also had to examine the development of theological and philosophical thoughts thoroughly. This enabled me to “see not only the trees but also the forest,” learning to distinguish and analyze in details the threads of thought involved.
During the study in the Th.D. program, I worked as a part-time pastor in a church to make ends meet and pay for my tuition fees. Pastoring a church and doing research studies are totally different. The former requires quick judgments and responses to all sorts of problems that arise at church; the latter requires careful consideration and understanding of the root and essence of the problem before making a critical response to it. Such a quick-slow contrast in approach did require time and effort to adjust to. But such an interwoven pattern of quick-slow tempo was amazing. On the one hand, pastoring a church involved coming into contact with people and walking with them, which made my lonely research life more colorful and gave me a chance to ponder how to apply my research into the reality of faith communities. On the other hand, the discerning power that research stresses was useful when I handled all those problems at church, reminding me what the important foundation of faith is, so that I would not lose focus and get lost in the problems.
Despite the vast insufficiency I faced on the journey of studying in the Th.D. program, I am grateful for God’s sufficient grace. His word always comes as timely comfort, help and encouragement to me. What is more, the understanding and presence of my family, the patient tolerance and guidance of the teachers and the care and support of my brothers and sisters at church work together as a shiny white rock on a dark mountain trail, helping me move steadily forward.