Cornelius Van Til

I have a special place in my heart for Cornelius Van Til. I never met the man. I never sat in his classes. I have not read many of his books (and the ones I did read I found difficult). And, to top it all off, if I ever had known him, I am sure we would have had significant doctrinal differences.

So why do I have a soft spot for Cornelius Van Til?

I graduated from Oklahoma Christian in August of 1978, and began working with the church in Kent, Ohio. By November of 1980, the inadequacy of my preparation for the ministry had become evident. Besides that, the church in Kent was headed for financial trouble, and I needed to move on. So I began to inquire at various schools. I cannot recall why I wrote to Westminster Theological Seminary. It did not make sense. I was not in agreement with many of their theological positions. I knew no one in Philadelphia; and I had no way to cover room and board for my family. But for some now forgotten reason, I wrote to that school.

I received from Westminster, as from all the other schools, an application packet and a sales pitch from the admissions staff. But I also received something else from Westminster. I received a personal hand-written note from Cornelius Van Til. I am sure that many others who applied to Westminster at that time received a similar note. It would be silly to imagine otherwise. But still, I appreciated it. An eighty-five-year-old professor, known around the world, had taken a few minutes to pen a note to me. It was not a long letter, just a simple note. But I saved that note for many years.

When was the last time you wrote someone a note of encouragement? Postage is higher than it used to be, but it is still a bargain. For less than a dollar, you could brighten someone's life today; you could share a word of encouragement that might make a difference for years to come. Don't think about it. Do it.