Sitiawan Roadshow: What to do if a Demon Possessed Man Comes to Town? - 2

Things can take on a new perspective when one spends sometime with the students in a very informal setting. This is no doubt true during our journey from Kuala Lumpur to Sitiawan. I have four very chatty students in my car, and there were no lack of revelations from them concerning life in the seminary.

Throughout the conversation in the almost 4-hour journey, I discovered some very creative ways students release their tension and reduce their stress level especially when the pressures of studies seem to be overwhelming.

One student did this some months ago by putting forth a case study in order to solicit response from other fellow students.

"Imagine that a demon possessed man walked into the seminary. In what ways do you think the lecturers in the seminary would respond? What do you think the lecturers would do or say in situation like this? Would they cast out the demons? Or???"

So the following were what the students think the lecturers would do and say:

Lecturer A: "It's better not to have anything to do with the demons. I better run away in the opposite direction...takut lah"

Lecturer B: "Wei, demon tai loh! Hurry up, come out of this person. Don't waste my time. You don't fool around ah..."

Lecturer C: "Look at me...I am more scarier than you, demon...better leave this person!"

Lecturer D: "I tell you ah, you demon, you better don't remain in that person; I tell you, you better come out; I tell you, you better listen to me; I tell you............................" this goes on until the demon got so tired of listening and decided to leave the person.

For what the students think the other lecturers would do or say...err....err...I think I better don't repeat it here. The readers will have to ask the students themselves.

But for the budding NT scholar, this was what the students thought he would say: "Let's take out the NA-27 and do an exegesis on the Greek text first."

Hmm...and I think I would like to add: "Let's see whether the evangelists record the incidents of Jesus casting out demons in aorist, present, or imperfect tense. Let's examine whether this is meant to be historical or gnomic...."

But on the other hand, I wonder what my colleagues would think the students would do...Let's see....let's start with....