Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” — Genesis 28:16
For those of us who grew up in church, Bethel was a sacred place Jacob stumbled into—a thin place where the veil between heaven and earth seemed to part. As kids we were taught about this “ladder” between heaven and earth. But what if Bethel wasn’t just a place but a lens?
For those who graduated from Evangel, a liberal arts education was the integration of faith and your profession. It wasn’t just a classroom topic—it was a calling. EU grads looked for meaning beneath the surface of their jobs, to connect their careers with discernment, and to listen deeply for the Lord and the pain in others voices.
The modern workplace, with its charts, targets, and timelines, may seem far from sacred. But I’d argue it’s exactly where the sacred wants to show up. If Jacob could encounter the divine in the dust of the wilderness, you can encounter Him in the heart of corporate strategy or retail business or in your medical career.
The truth is, presence precedes clarity. Before Jacob ever became “Israel,” before blessing or breakthrough, there was presence. He was weary, displaced, uncertain—and God met him right there. Not in the temple. Not after he’d gotten his act together. But right there on the ground with a stone for a pillow.
Many leaders today aren’t lacking talent or resources—they’re suffering from unawareness. Not because of sin, but pace of life. Not because they don’t care, but because they don’t pause. Reverence often dies not from rebellion, but from rushed agendas.
But what if we reclaimed our personal spaces? What if we viewed every planning session, every strategic pivot, every P&L review as a potential Bethel moment? When our careers and workplaces become Bethel moments only good things will result. Strategy in business becomes listening for the most important things in life.
To our alumni leading in law, finance, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and beyond—you are not “out there” in the world away from ministry. You are on the frontlines of sacred spaces. Your business is a house of purpose. Your leadership is liturgy. Your influence is impact.
You don’t need to leave your company to find calling. You need to reclaim it. You need to see with Bethel-eyes. Walk into that next hard decision with the question, “Lord, are You here—and have I been unaware?” Because He is. He always has been.
Bethel isn’t a building. Bethel is a way of seeing. And the world needs leaders like you to see clearly again.
President Rakes