The term senior connotes scholarship. Wisdom. Insight. But if you’re a regular CT reader, you also know that “senior editor” means sensitive, witty, and very human.
In the context of their regular column, the five senior editors who provide invaluable counsel to CT editors give readers a glimpse into their personal lives, showing God at work in spite of their foibles. Thus, over the past year we have read of J. I. Packer’s cravings for chocolate chocolate cake, George Brushaber’s admiration for “Old Blue” (a mouse-infested Chevy sedan), and in this issue, we hear from Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen—and about her broken wrist.
As of this writing, the wrist is almost back to normal. But as Mary notes on page 11, the fracture hardly broke her stride. Among other things, she was an early reader of this issue’s cover story, and offered suggestions for its final improvement. And, of course, she wrote her column—almost a month ahead of schedule! (Perhaps there’s an editorial principle here?)
The column and the prepublication editorial critiques constitute a large part of the senior editors’ job description. Also in that description are the quarterly two-day meetings near Chicago’s O’Hare airport, where ideas are discussed, questions raised and answered, and, in the case of Mary’s cast, wrists are signed.
For the record, our senior editors are: George Brushaber, Bethel College and Seminary; J. I. Packer, Regent College; Kenneth Kantzer, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Mary Stewart Van Leeuwen, Calvin College; and John Akers, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
HAROLD B. SMITH, Managing Editor
Cover illustration by Chris A. Gall.
