When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19
In a day when spiritually and militancy are supposed to be opposites, Isaiah’s words may seem antique, a rallying cry fit only for those who defend narrow beliefs with unconsidered zeal and blind partisanship. But spiritual battles are not human quarrels or contests between human factions. They are spiritual contests fought against spiritual forces and spiritual evils that would blight our greater hopes and turn us away from a longing for God. It is the Spirit of the Lord who lifts up a banner or standard, even in conflict, on behalf of those who honestly seek Him: those who seek Him with this attitude may be sure that they will find Him.
The Yale Standard, first published in 1969, is written for such as these; and the articles, prayers, histories and testimonies in its pages are written by Yale students and graduates to encourage Christians, and to testify to the seeking love and limitless power of Jesus Christ in this generation.
Marena Fisher
The landmarks in Yale’s history are the men of character who have stood out when others were content to go along with the trends of the day. When it was neither comfortable nor safe to resist conformity, these men took a stand and the trends were reversed.
“The Lord Shall Lift Up a Standard”
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19). We have chosen the title of our paper from this verse of Scripture because, as undergraduates at Yale, Harvard, and Columbia, we have seen the Lord establish His work in the midst of overwhelmingly dark circumstances.
It won’t be long now! Soon you will actually feel Yale’s terrain beneath your feet, only to be beset by an eager crowd of suitors, offering anything they think might suit you…. You will have decisions to
make in the first weeks at Yale which may well be the most important in your
Yale career. They will set your direction for your years at Yale, which in turn
will form the basis for later life.
What You Will Find at Yale: Beneath Its Books and Spires – A Deeper Side
The challenge facing you now is more than just a stepping away from old restraints—it means responsibilities towards yourself and others. You or your parents may not comprehend it fully, but it is now that your parents actually lose control of your life. What then? Whatever choices you make, your life will not be the same when you come out. It will be vastly changed.
Three Centuries of Open Wells, Flowing Grace
The [Fall 2000] issue of the Yale Standard has brought into focus a clear and, to us, thrilling pattern of determined handfuls of people daring Goliath-sized obstacles—all to advance the knowledge of the Good News of Jesus Christ at and through Yale.
Sovereign Ambush: Four Decades of the Yale Standard
If there ever were a blessed disruption, it would be God’s calling breaking into the consciousness of a young man or woman. The three editors of the first edition of the Yale Standard—Spring, 1969—averaged about 20 years old at the time. We had entered Yale a few years before with some mix of the ambition, excitement, and foreboding that most new Yalies would recognize.
Being a freshman at Yale is like being a child in a candy store. Everything is here. The problem is deciding what to choose. Some of you will find great success at Yale as scholars, as athletes, some as musicians, and others as leaders, but success comes at a price. Likewise, Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”
Entering Yale: The Spiritual Context
Most of us would rather not tune into a TV show that’s more than half over, start a new book at page 150, or transfer to a new school over Spring Break. In each case, we’d feel out of step, ill-informed, out of context. Amid the other briefings you receive as Yale newcomers, our experience suggests you could use some spiritual context, so here is something about your new spiritual context as studies—and life—begin at Yale.
You and I see a flood of images, hear a torrent of words, deal with a steady daily downpour of impressions on our senses, mind and emotions. Most of us know how a catchy ad jingle can get in between the ears and rattle around, unwelcome. Just so, these unruly streams tend to show up in your thoughts and perspective. If you just sit there and let them wash over you, they will soak in more and more until you consider them reflexively to be the reality you live in.
This institution can do you much good. Yet life here has a way of making mincemeat out of the unsuspecting. If 100 freshmen were asked if they intended to live good, productive lives here, perhaps 91 would answer yes. The other nine just may occupy the room next to yours and throw wild parties every weekend.
