My anatomy professor at UNM, Professor Landau, “call me Landau, everyone
else does, including my kids and wife,” was a unique individual. Strange may be
closer to the truth. He looked a lot like Edward G. Robinson, except with the
Brillo type hair no comb can tame, and his personality was much like Columbo.
Each class was unlike the other, with the exception he brought us up to speed
each meeting with family news, which usually took the whole hour. So your
reading assignment was that much more important, you learned from the book, as
anatomy class soon took on the Landau Family Hour. With one afternoon worth
remembering...
I was a fifth semester freshman, at my third try at college. An attractive
older girl always sat next to me, she was about 23, me 21, old for and to the
rest of the 18 year olds in the class. We had talked briefly, and were a little
out of their league, as both of us had been out in the world, and decided to go
back to school so we didn’t have to work an hourly wage the rest of our lives,
to the others this was just 13th grade. But on this day as we assumed our seats
towards the back of the room, Landau had brought in a brain for us that day. He
carried it in a 5 gallon plastic pail, and when he took off the lid, the
formaldehyde smell almost killed the front row. Reaching in, he grabbed the
brain, shook off the dripping liquid, as it ran down his arm, and then held it
up. Explaining how it held the keys to our personality, and how each one of us
had one. As he held it up for us in the back to see, it slipped from his hand,
and trying with both hands to catch it only juggled it, before it hit the desk
in front of him, sending the girl into shock as it dodged her, then bounced onto
the floor, rolled down the aisle and came to rest between this girl and I. With
even the jock types screaming and girls jumping out of their seats, he calmly
asked “can I have my brain back?” And gently reaching over between us, my fellow
female student bent over, grabbed it and rolled it back to him...all very coolly
and without all the girly screaming. Landau picked it up, and replaced it in
the pail, secured the lid and went on like nothing had happened...with everyone
else in a panic,except the two of us laughing. Because it was funny.
Now no one ever failed in Landau’s class, as you corrected your own tests
at a party held at Landau’s house. Where the students who showed up were
greeted by all the Landaus, who suspiciously all looked the same, like a family
drawn from the cartoons, and corrected the tests, giving all one more chance to
get the answers right. An interesting concept, learning by our mistakes, it
seemed to work as no one failed-ever. In fact if you only got a B, you had
fallen to too many home made Landau cookies, and after attending two times, my
GPA made me look like a genius. But soon it was finals time, and things were
serious, so Debbie, the girl who rolled the brain back to Landau and I agreed to
study together. Like I said she was older, not pretty but attractive, and a bit
sophisticated, she had an apartment and I only lived in a basement room for
$50/month. She had bragged about how she liked to cook, and invited me to
dinner first, then to study, how could I say no? And so I got ready for my
date, I mean studying, and after a great dinner, she said we might be more
comfortable on the sofa with our home made apple pie, ala mode of course.
Now I was never much to study, I only saw romance, or hands on anatomy
studying, and as we finished the pie, she said, “we need to get studying, my
boyfriend gets home from work at 9.” Who gets where at when? To her it was
just to study, I thought I had been invited over....for more than to study for a
Landau test. That we would all go over later at his house anyway...maybe the
rolling brain had effected her, or was it me? No one ever failed in Landau’s
class, that night I did at dating, or did I succeed in studying.....
God prepares us for life and ministry by testing us, to see if we are
paying attention to what he tells us. Too often we brag about how great God is
when we get our way, or when we correct our own exams. Other times I feel like
the brain Landau juggled and dropped, tested beyond belief and wonder what is
God thinking? When he is really trying to get my attention and show me
something. So often we immediately go to prayer in a bad situation looking for
an escape route, when he is really trying to show us his love, and strengthen us
through the trial. We quit in the middle, handing in our test incomplete. But
he wants to draw us closer to him, to prepare us for later. Tests that we
cannot grade ourselves, that only he can, and that we must rely on him. No
matter how much we know, or think we know, or how many Bible studies or times we
have read the Bible, he wants to make it personal. To make the words of his
word come alive, yet we only see the trial, and not him. And our prayers hinder
us, as we should be listening rather than directing the situation. For too many
times I expect things after dinner, but forget why I am here.
We find the prophets many times, as are all the people mentioned in the
Bible out side of Jesus, after praying and doing what they think is best, turn
to God. And guided by his spirit then reluctantly do what he has always wanted
them to do, giving credence to the scripture “all things work together for those
who love the Lord.” Both good and bad. But do we run to God first, or poll our
friends to find one who is sympathetic to our cause? Prolonging the
inevitable? Do we seek human acceptance or do we need to get with God, because
something happens at 9? That after I misread a situation, that the spirit shows
me how to handle it. Yet how many trust Oprah, Ellen, The View, or talk radio
for answers, when they are just as screwed up? Why go to another person when
you can go directly to Jesus? And get the answers you need? Or you can go to
Landau’s for correction...
Looking back I am not so sure Landau dropped the brain as much as he let it
slip from his hand. To get a reaction. Life is like that too, events
controlled by heaven happen to us to see where are we in Christ. We say we
believe, but do we? We say we trust him, but do we? We say we love others, but
do we? Some watched in horror as the brain rolled by them, what would you have
done? Personally I thought it funny in the context, maybe a study in itself.
Maybe a different type of studying that I had intended to do after dinner.
Another test...
God is toughening us for life and the assignments ahead. Maybe for a test,
or a situation, or a night out. To test the heart, to see where we are really
at with him. It’s funny I don’t remember anything else about Landau’s class,
but I never will forget there brain rolling past me. Maybe that was the
lesson...and I got it. Now what to do with it. Dinner is over, the pie is
gone, it’s time to study. No one ever failed in Landau’s class, life is much
different. God will judge us someday, and has given us the answers to life.
Jesus. And an open book to refer to when needed. And his spirit that never
leaves us. It never occurred to us until later that that brain belonged to
someone, maybe an old Landau student. Who used to correct his own test. On
judgment day, the final exam will be “who do you say Jesus is?” He has given us
his spirit and a life time to know him, and know him well beyond the answer. On
earth as it is in heaven, not Landau’s room. Or class. Study to find yourself
approved, but rest in the comfort of knowing Jesus personally. Some quote him,
I know him. Dinners over, the pie is gone. It’s almost 9. Don’t be the one to
fail in his class, he has given you a lifetime to find him, now that you know
him, how will that change the way you study? What have you heard from your brain
lately? Abby who?
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com