A common conversation we have often at Judson. Community is one of the main things to have in order to have a good life (GEN101). Community is important. Whether it's at school or in a city or a church, community is what drives success. It's what drives love and allows for progress. So with all of this to say, Judson, we suck at community. Let me explain. That may have been harsh.

Wherever you go, there will constantly be clicks. Groups of people that tend to hang out with each other. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No. If anything, it's important to have a really solid group of friends that you can trust and depend on. But what about that person in a different major, or that person that hangs out in a different group? Do you know who that is? Judson is not a large school. It's smaller than most high schools. So why do I find it difficult to make friends with other people that aren't in my major?

Well to answer that, I have to look at myself. Where do I find myself the most comfortable? Where do I find other people staring at me for being an "outsider?" And why? Why is it so weird for me at a baseball game or an art critique?

In Chapel, we constantly ask ourselves why we can't seem to engage certain crowds of people. Try putting it in this way. Would you relate with someone talking about the physics of tennis if you didn't know who that was? Perhaps not. Because there isn't an established sort of friendship there. As a Chapel Worship Leader, my main goal is to lead the student body in worship, but how can I do that when I don't even know half of the student body?

So why all of a sudden the passion for community, you may ask me. I love people. And there is joy when you get to invest your time into something other than yourself. New friends, new viewpoints, new opportunities. As this year has wrapped up, I want to encourage you to try different things. Go to a sports game, or go to a recital. Meeting new people can be scary, but if you really want to see a change in the school, it's time to start looking at the school more like a church. Where (hopefully), we all kind of just know each other and occasionally have potlucks.