The Bell
I want to tell you about the first exam I had to take in my former position as an actuary. For most actuarial students, you take exams while you are working. As such, usually an insurance company will agree to host the exams given. These ranged from 1 to 6 hours in time allotted for taking the exam (at least when I was still taking them).
My first actuarial exam was on the theory of interest. You know, if you put $100 in the bank today, how much will be in your account in 5 years with a credited interest rate of 3%. But also, interest working backwards (what would you have to deposit today at 2% interested to have an account value of $750 in 3 years). And - the bigee - what is a fair amount to pay for an annuity that pays $1 per month for the next 20 years and variants thereof?
This exam sitting was being hosted by Franklin Life Insurance company and the exam was scheduled for 3 hours starting at 2pm. Franklin Life (I don’t know if they still do this) had a bell that rang at 4:10pm to let the employees know that the regular workday had ended. The proctor of the exam explained this to the half dozen of us who were taking the exam, so we’d know what was going on when it went off (the exam was scheduled to run until 5pm).
After the preliminaries (including the warning that I heard every time I took an exam that any cheating would be considered a serious violation and would result in the disqualification of the exam and further disciplinary action deemed necessary), we got started. I was working hard on the problems. Working so hard that I got into the zone where I was ignoring any potential distractions to focus on solving the problems.
At 4:10pm, as we were warned, the bell went off. I was so far into the problem-solving zone that the bell started me. When I say startled me, I mean that I physically jumped up from my chair and hit the table with my legs making a racket at my table (we each had our own table). The only laughter that I remember was from the proctor whose job it was to watch us to make sure none of us cheated. Every other exam taker was at least sympathetic to my focused problem solving that they ignored my faux pas.
I was recalling this last night. You see, last Wednesday, an insurance executive was murdered. On Thursday, I heard a 18 year old make light of it because he was the CEO of an insurance company. And later in that evening, I saw some of the appalling social media comments which I’m sure the young man was parroting. To say these crass comments bothered me was an understatement. I couldn’t get it out of my head.
Then Sunday came. I was still carrying that burden when I got to church. We had a guest preacher, Chris Stewart, from The Bridge. He spoke on Jesus being the ultimate source of peace among other things and I was genuinely well fed after his sermon. God must have known what I needed because I felt some of that dark cloud over my thoughts recede.
Later in the day, I went to the Vesper concert at Washburn University and then to the Children’s program at church. There is something about seeing kids, whether they are young adults or toddlers singing Christmas songs that is healing because I felt the remainder of my dark cloud leave. Music is very powerful form of worship. Again, I felt that God knew what I needed to heal my aching spirit.
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,” - Luke 1:26-41 ESV
“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!” - Psalm 149:1-9
The next time you have the opportunity to sing a gospel song, stop for a second and consider the words. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open your mind and your heart to the meaning and worship your Lord by singing that song with all your heart.
