“Where is the washroom?”

This was one of the most popular questions encountered by several TTC students early in the morning of 18 January 2017. These students were volunteers staffing the registration booths at TTC’s annual Open House. It was to be a day of questions.

Following a warm welcome from the Principal to all participants at the Open House, the Deans and the Registrar ably addressed “Why Theological Education at TTC”? and “What is the Application Process”? as part of the official programme. Guests also had the privilege of sitting in actual lectures; our Theology lecture by Dr Roland Chia doubled in size! And I imagine questions abounded still.

“What was this institute that Calvin established?” (He didn’t, Institutes is the (short) title of his famous book.)

“How do I even spell that guy’s name??” (Gottschalk and the Council of Quierzy. We students had to ask google too.)

“Does TTC always provide pastries and coffee for class tea breaks?” (Sadly, no…)

As I joined with a small group for a campus tour, I tried to picture our visitors’ unspoken questions as they heard and saw various nuggets of our communal life:

Are the students here friendly and welcoming? (Certainly – evidenced by the enthusiastic Year 1 students who served as befrienders and took our guests on a college tour. Glenn Chan (M.Div 3) not only opened his home in the family residences, he even shared Chinese New Year snacks.)

Do TTC students only study and never play? (Definitely not! My campus tour group’s first stops were the gym, the futsal court and the student lounge.)

How is the food at TTC? (Well… we had our guests join our Community Lunch, so they could taste for themselves how good Mdm Yap’s cooking is. ‘Nuff said.)

At the Holy Communion chapel service, our lecturer Rev Dr Mark Chan drew attention to another question, one which Jesus asked Peter at Caesarea Philippi: “Who do you say that I am”? Peter gave a theologically A+ reply: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Yet this was not an answer which derived from Peter’s study, analysis, or investigation. The answer to the question came from God’s own revelation of himself.

And so we turned to this self-revealing God in a communal prayer for our visitors:

Faithful God, we give thanks for this college and ask that you continue to lead it so that every member of the community is equipped for ministry. Grant those present for the open house clear discernment to know your will for them in this season of their lives.

May our visitors’ questions be answered – not just through the Open House presentations, dialogues and activities – but also in encounter with our God who responds and reveals.

By Gilbert Lok (MDiv 1)