Taking experience seriously means we take ourselves seriously. Of course, an authentic study of conversion above all emphasizes the priority of God’s initiative and unilateral character of God’s salvation. However, we cannot examine religious experience adequately without acknowledging the uniqueness of each person and the distinctive character of each person’s experience. Each person is a story of God’s grace. While there are parallels between us and we can compare our stories and celebrate the common elements, each person’s conversion narrative is unique. No two are identical. When we take experience seriously, we highlight what actually does happen rather than insist on what should happen.

Remember where you’ve come from, and using everything that you’ve learned both inside and outside of the Wake Forest classroom, never pursue your dream with anything other than your utmost dedication and deepest passion…To bravery through adversity. To the pursuit of maturity. To achievement, and to understanding. To faith and to passion. To our never-ending dedication to one another. To hope, and to strength. To surpassed expectations. To success, punctuated by moments of observation and reflection. To you. To Old, to Gold, and to Black.