Summary of “A Tribute to My Family and Bob Jones University: A Culturally Rich, Brilliant, Christ-Centered University of Beauty Rare”
This Shakespearean sonnet is a heartfelt tribute to the poet’s family and their formative years at Bob Jones University, a culturally rich, brilliant, Christ-centered institution. Inspired by Psalm 16:6—”The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance”—the poem celebrates a childhood immersed in faith, intellect, and art. The poet honors their parents, radiant and wise professors, who shaped a vibrant campus life filled with daily sermons that echoed the Word, operas that lifted the spirit with heavenly refrains, and Shakespeare plays that revealed life’s grand and rare joys. The university’s unparalleled collection of Christ-centered art, described as a “gallery of grace,” illuminated the soul, revealing truth that inspired the heart to soar. From this sacred home, rooted in beauty and wisdom, the poet’s soul grew, inheriting a rich and true legacy.

The lines have fallen where the spirit thrives,
A campus steeped in faith where I was raised,
My parents, brilliant minds with radiant lives,
Professors whose deep wisdom earned them praise.
Each day the Word in sermons filled the air,
While operas soared with heaven’s grand refrain,
And Shakespeare’s plays, with wit beyond compare,
Unfolded life’s great joys both grand and rare.
The finest art, Christ-centered, graced our sight,
A gallery of grace, the world’s own best,
Where brush and soul in holy light unite,
To show the truth that bids the heart to soar.
From such a home, my soul took root and grew,
A legacy of beauty, rich and true.