[About Me]
Bio
Hi, I’m Chandler Collins. I grew up in the great state of Michigan and then moved to Chicago where I've lived for the last 7 years. I'm an avid Detroit sports fan, coffee connoisseur, and I appreciate good music and conversation. I enjoy learning about almost anything, but I spend most of my time studying the Bible and things related to it. I was raised by wonderful Christian parents, and I grew up in a conservative Christian environment. As I started exploring and learning on my own, I began to struggle with what I really believed about God, the Bible, and people. I spent about 3 fairly dark years in my early/mid-20's working through deep academic skepticism and religious legalism. Although in many ways that struggle never really ends, today, I am committed to the gospel of Jesus. I have also been involved in various ministries for the last 10 years, most significantly as a part-time youth pastor for 4 years. You can expect my posts to reflect these experiences.
Education
I am a graduate of Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago (B.A. in Bible/Biblical Languages), and I am currently pursuing two M.A.’s from Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL (Old Testament/Archaeology). This year, I am studying at Jerusalem University College in Jerusalem, Is.
[About the blog]
-The blog is simple: it contains articles and videos.
Articles
You can see my articles under the New Posts tab. I will not write about any one thing in particular. After all, no one can predict where a fertile mind will take them, and I want to be free to go wherever that is. Most of my past articles have related to the Bible, theology, or ministry in some way, but others have dipped into pop culture or other things. I will not post often, but when I do, it will be because I believe I have something worth writing, and I will try to make it a worthwhile read. The best posts are archived here.
Probably the most humbling thing about publishing something is that with it, you put in print your understanding to that point. I often look at my past-self and laugh at my writing skills, demeanor, or my misunderstanding of a subject. But such is the world of writing, and if I waited until a piece was perfect before I published it, I would never publish anything. This is a risk I am willing to take. Please forgive me for what is unhelpful and untrue, but I hope the bulk of it is true and helpful. Keep in mind that most of my older posts are nothing more than an unfortunate memorial to who I once was and what I thought was important although you will find a nugget here and there.
Why I Write
I write because I enjoy the process of taking a theoretical idea and working it out into something fresh and unique on paper. Also, I kind of view this blog as a connection back home to the familiar while I study abroad. I see it as a way to share what I am learning and experiencing while I am away.
Videos
The one thing I believe is unique to this blog is a running page of videos I have personally taken during my time in the Middle East. Some of them are bare footage, but most of them are from my "Behind the Bible" Youtube series-short videos that illustrate geography, history, and archaeology of the Bible on site. They are designed for a wide audience to help with personal study and teaching. The series was inspired by my Physical Settings class taught by Dr. Paul Wright at Jerusalem University College.
Please be patient with me as uploading videos takes forever in Israel, and I do not always have the funds to travel and film as often as I would like to. If you believe in what I am doing, I have made it possible to support my efforts via Paypal. I currently have almost 50 video projects planned, and your gift can help make them possible! The newest videos are posted in running order here, and they are later archived by subject here.
I have recently done a lot of work to revamp and reorganize this blog. So it's important to me, and it would mean a lot to hear how it strikes you. If you have feedback of any kind from the content of a post to the aesthetics of the layout, I would greatly appreciate you taking the time to tell me. You can post it here or tweet it: @mcchan37.
Blessings,
Chan
