“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.“
5.6.2015
Sisters and brothers, membra Alma matris,
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.“ These joyful words of psalm 118 were on the lips of those who walked through the mountains and deserts and gathered together at the ancient temple of Jerusalem to rejoice in the many gifts of life. Today we have gathered together at the doctoral conferment and walked to the ecumenical thanksgiving service to give thanks for the gifts of knowledge, science and academic community.
The doctoral conferment is always a day of joy and a feast of thanksgiving – not only to the university but to the whole society. There are many reasons to give thanks today. When I did my own academic dissertation with medieval texts, I sometimes felt myself feeling very lonely. Reading books and writing articles through the day and night is often lonely work. Therefore it is important to do academic research together. Let us rejoice in the gift of academic community and friendship.
Jokainen doktorandi, tohtori ja professori tarvitsee akateemisen yhteisön lisäksi myös lujan motivaation, sisäisen kutsumuksen, jota kirkossa kutsumme termillä vocatio interna. Äsken on arveltu, että professorin vokaatioksi riittäisi kolme syytä: kesäkuu, heinäkuu ja elokuu. Pelkkä oman mukavuuden tavoittelu ei kuitenkaan riitä tutkimuksen motivaatioksi eikä selitä tänään juhlittavia saavutuksia. Sitä paitsi monet tutkijat käyttävät kesänsä oman tutkimuksen tekemiseen, kun muulloin kalenteri täytyy monista hallinnollisista velvollisuuksista. Jokaisen tutkijan työ lähtee sisäisestä palosta ja innosta, mutta myös siitä tietoisuudesta, että olen osa suurempaa kokonaisuutta ja kertomusta. Mikä on tämä kertomus?
Scientific research is never possible alone. It needs a strong motivation of the heart, discipline of the mind and body, but also tradition and community, methods and money. To put it in a single word, it needs a whole culture which favors scientific efforts. How did this culture come into existence?
Historically modern sciences are the fruit of dialogue and co-operation between civilizations, as the historian Arun Bala puts it. Modern Science is a fruit of many seeds, for example the so called scientific revolution during the early modern period from Nicolaus Copernicus to Isaac Newton, when developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, medicine and chemistry transformed views of nature. It is also a fruit of technical innovations which helped to scope (see?) further and print texts faster. It is a fruit of trade through which new theories spread into new places.
Modern science is also a fruit of Christianity, and especially of the Catholic Church, which in the early Middle Ages established the first modern universities. According to John Heilbron the Catholic Church supported sciences spiritually, economically and institutionally more than all other institutions put together. As professor Noah Efron, a Jewish historian, puts it, Christianity, both catholic and protestant, gave a strong motivation to the natural sciences to find and understand the hidden laws of the creation established by the Creator. Today science helps us to protect this creation, a vocation which is given by God to every human being.
Today we can to also thank the Islamic culture which for many centuries not only copied and transmitted the achievements of natural science of the ancient Greeks but also corrected and developed this. In the beginning of the 10th century Baghdad and Damaskos were the leading cities in science.
So, let us remember today that science is not a fruit of one ideology or a privilege of one civilization, nor can it flourish in any monoculture. It comes from many roots and it belongs to all. This is a great story and we are part of it. This idea is very well expressed in the medieval phrase: Scientia donum Dei est, unde vendi non potest. Science is a gift of God; therefore it cannot be sold. It cannot be subordinated to private property or economical interests.
Inhimillisessä elämässä onnellisuus ja ilo ovat harvoin jos koskaan absoluuttista. Onni täällä vaihtelee, lauletaan lasten virressä. Vietämme aina kiitosjuhlaa erilaisten varjojen keskellä. Tänään ne liittyvät talouden sopeuttamiseen, myös akatemiassamme. Ilon keskellä on rehellistä nimetä myös varjot: juhlamme aikana Itä-Suomen yliopisto joutuu irtisanomaa 24 työntekijää, Suomessa on 1018 työtöntä tohtoria ja hallitus aikoo leikata yliopistoilta 500 miljoonaa euroa. Muistamme työtä vailla olevia veljiä ja sisaria. Toivomme ja rukoilemme, että jokainen voisi löytää paikkansa tämän maan ja maailman rakentamisessa. Edessämme ovat säästötalkoot, mutta se älköön estäkö meitä tänään iloitsemasta, kiittämästä ja juhlimasta yliopistoa, uusia tohtoreita ja keskinäistä yhteyttä.
Both natural sciences and humanities are wonderful methods of developing proper knowledge in this world. However, it has its limits. True knowledge is a stairway to true wisdom. True science must show the way to true wisdom. Without true wisdom and virtues like love, compassion, justice and humility, our knowledge may turn into oppression of other humans, and abuse of the whole of God’s creation.
Today we have expressed thanks to those who are the best and greatest among us in the use of scientifical methods. In todays’ Gospel reading Jesus, however, places in the midst of us something different. When the disciples wants to know “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Jesus does not answer by saying: “Look, it is this rabbi, a very good friend of mine.” Nor does he single out a bishop or a professor. Jesus invites a child and puts this child in the midst of the people saying: “I promise you this. If you don’t change and become like a child, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven. But if you are as humble as this child, you are the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And when you welcome one of these children because of me, you welcome me.”
In the eyes of Jesus the dignity of human life is not based on academic achievements, but in God’s dream and creation. True knowledge is necessary in explaining the different phenomenons of this life, but true wisdom is a gift from above. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22).
Our scientific efforts will lead us to a better knowledge of creation. This is open to those who are strong, capable and ambitious enough. Trust in God and humility in front of the Creator will get us into the kingdom of heaven. This is open to all – to all those, who are humble, who recognize their imperfectness, and who put trust in God’s love and mercy.
“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.“