What a great project! Bringing practical application to theological truths can be difficult. Kudos to your students for living the love of God!

Good leadership, Tom! You gave the challenge and your class came through with some great ideas! This kind of thing spreads… it would be very interesting to check back in 6-9 months and see what kinds of things these and others are doing.

What a great challenge.  I’m especially interested in Courtney Michelson’s letter-writing project.  I think we underestimate the real commitment to real individuals that we’re often called to make when we undertake to offer Christian love.

This is awesome, exactly the same idea I’ve been trying to get my kids to get involved with in my youth group. It’s interesting how socially awkward it can seem to do something randomly loving. Interesting and sad. But there is hope! This is a blog of hope!

Very inspiring!

This is terrific stuff. I actually really want to talk to Blake about his Zip Bike project- I think something like that would be awesome in a little community like Payette. Could I find him on Facebook or would you be willing to pass him my email?

Sounds like an awesome class…

Great vision for engagement and reflection Tom and I applaud your students for their creative and loving responses….

Cool to see the theological application, Tom!

I was truly inspired by the way these students demonstrated love by going the extra mile in response to the love challenge.  It reminded me of God’s love inreaching out to mankind. The Scriptural foundation of 1 John 3:17 rings through.  I was truly encouraged and I could not help thinking about ways I can go the extra mile.

What an inspiring example of love in action.  These students worked intentionally for the well being of others without benefit for themselves.  They reached out lovingly to others either as individuals or as groups. They affected their world positively.  It sounds like essential kenosis at work!

Tom,

What a great assignment and thanks for letting us know some of the ‘extra miles’. If only each of us would make this a part of our daily living. I believe that God is constantly looking for ways to show us His love. He is constantly watching us, listening to us and pursuing us. If only we would engage in similar behavior to others, the result could be amazing!

Mike J

Dr. Oord,

I’d suggest that the “extra-mile love” you refer to is precisely the love Jesus has called us to live out. 

As we have received love and wholeness from God through Jesus, our response comes next.  Love is called for.  How can we not respond in love to others when we have received so much?

What is alarming I think, is that so many of us have been graciously loved and saved, but have failed to respond in kind. 

What you challenged your students with as an assignment ought to be a way of life for us all that claim to follow Jesus.  Action is key to love as your students have demonstrated.  Thanks for sharing.

It is interesting to see what some of the students in “Love” have done previously. While I am still thinking of what to do for my particular project, I can see even in these short snippets that there is the potential to reach out and impact people by going the extra mile.

There are so many opportunities I think we miss out on. Whether it is because we are too focused on whats at hand in our own personal lives or just plain procrastination to do anything, we lose track of how we can uplift or show love and kindness to others in some way with our present actions. Let us never forget we are here to share in relationship with others as well as God

Some of these projects are very creative expressions of love and there are even more countless ways to show love to others. That is what is so great about this project. We are all unique and as such, we can each find our own way to show others love. I hope I can come up with a way to show love that incorporates something I am passionate about. I think by combining my passion for something and loving others, great things can happen. I look forward to finding such a project to show love to others.

These are really great ideas! I am excited what this new semester of projects will bring!

All of these projects are amazing! I feel as though these students have set quite the bar to beat! As of today, I am not sure what I could do that would really stretch me and do something that I can show my love to others! With these examples in mind, I am hoping that I can come up with something great, something that will meet the bar of these students.

I really enjoyed reading the ideas that these students have presented.I believe this is something that should be incorporated into everyday life. Why should we settle for an easy life? Why should we expect to always get lucky with out putting in some work? Why can’t we help some one with something as simple as cleaning a restroom?  I have began to think of ideas for myself to do and am more then excited for this project. I have also began to think of things I can do long term, after this class.

Being honest I was a little nervous when I heard about this assignment as I’m not exactly and extrovert but I know there are ways I can show Gods love to others in my own way. These stories are great examples and I’m excited to do something and continue to do things daily to be Christ to people in small and hopefully in big ways in my future.

I liked the ideas that these students had. When it was first mentioned in class I felt that it was something that had to be outside the box. I think that even my small ideas will turn out to be much greater in the end; with time, effort, and love that I am willing to give. I look forward to how I will help others, as well as what I will learn from this experience.

It is amazing what such a simple act can do and the impact that it can make on those who witness. I am excited to do this project where I will be able to do something beyond my comfort zone because it is not something that I do often but I know will make me a better person. This project should be done on more university campuses.

I am really excited for this project! Kylie’s project really caught my eye. I love kids and spending time with them so I might want to lead a team of kids in a art project.

It’s awesome to see the changes and the responses that were made as a result of this project. I like the idea of using a talent of mine to help others in a way that I’ve never done before. It truly is amazing to see what one action of love and kindness can do.

I remember hearing about several of these projects, and until now, I did not know that they originated with this class. I think that it is great reminder for us to consider the role motivation plays in our deeds of goodwill. So often we do something for another person for ulterior motives beyond a desire for his or her well-being. While this might not always be a bad thing, it is certainly important to be aware of. I look forward to finding a new way to show love this semester.

I really enjoyed this, I has given me a really great ideas for what I am going to do.  I can not wait to get started.

These project examples were very inspiring! I really enjoyed reading about the project that Kylie May did. What a cool experience to get to share her heart and display hope to two young girls who are experiencing horrible things in their every day lives. In my profession I want to work with young girls, especially girls who have been molested or raped, and I hope to be able to be a light to them and be able to show them hope like Kylie was able to demonstrate to the girls.

It’s very cool to see the wide variety of projects that your former students came up with. It also help give me a better grasp on what this project is, and why you want us to do it. I feel confident now that I can hopefully come up with something that will also better someones life.

I am excited to challenge myself in the ways the students in the article have done. Blakes idea was a great idea. I happened to use those zip bikes every once in a while on NNU’s campus. I am looking forward to this “extra mile love” project this semester.

Personally, I was inspired while reading about the project of Kylie May. I believe that all Christians were called to be discipled and to disciple others. I have never had a mentor in my life, besides my Father in heaven. It takes time and sacrifice to invest in the lives of others, but it is a loving endeavor that will almost never disappoint.

I enjoyed reading what previous students have done for this project. I remember when the Zip Bikes came out, it didn’t make sense then, but now I understand the reason behind it.
I find it interesting how sometimes when we act out in love, others don’t understand it as an act of love. Does this mean we failed to show love properly? Or is the receiver not understanding our message?
Either way, I am excited to create my project and display my act of love.

I am really excited to get started on this project and the examples you gave were incredibly inspiring. I didn’t realize how big of an impact a small act of selflessness can have on one person or a community of people, so I am really looking forward to seeing how the project I choose will impact others as well as me.

I am excited about doing this project in this class. It is a bit saddening that it is taking a graded assignment to push me to reach out above and beyond what I normally do, but I have had many ideas in the past that are options of what I will do in the future. I like the idea of being creative and even innovative in unimaginable ways in order to bring change in others lives, or even just to brighten someone’s day.

The variety amongst these projects is amazing. It seems that the most inspiring projects are the ones that take the most sacrifice and/or the ones that become personal to those being “loved” as well as those “loving”. I think that it will be interesting to see what the students in this class come up with and can’t wait to try my hand at reaching out as well.

These projects are really amazing. It truly shows how diverse love can be and how there is an unlimited amount of ways people can show love to each other. Although this is a class assignment, I hope that we can really love our community, friends, and family members, and enemies through this love project.

It must have taken great effort for these students to stretch beyond their comfort zones in an effort to love. That is an admirable attribute of all these students.

Moreover, i am convicted that it takes a class project to push me to love beyond my comfort zone. Love should not be limited by comfort, however, in our daily life, we just want to get by.

Also, it is somewhat sad that these projects are not continuing anymore on campus. After all the effort, these projects can only be remembered as projects; However what matters is that at the moment they were done, these projects made a difference.Thank you for this opportunity.

These are some great ideas that the students did in you class last year. I saw the zip bikes around campus last year, but I did not really know what the rationale was behind them. Now it makes sense. As I have been considering what to do for my project, I find it a struggle figuring out one that would challenge me and stretch my capabilities, yet be achievable in the course of the semester.

Watching Pay it Forward last night was an inspiration in guiding my thoughts toward the general idea of what the project should resemble. The Extra Mile Love project should be hard, something you don’t know you can do. Recognizing the growth possibility associated with this project, I am excited to get started on whatever God may lead me towards.