You grow up in a Christian home. You do the required things to claim you’re a Christian: go to church every Sunday, followed by the dreaded Sunday school. You go to Christian summer camps and come home feeling like a whole new person. And then you leave for college, but you still find a large group of Christians, like yourself, whom you find comfort in.
Life is easy; you know what to believe and there are more people around you telling you that those beliefs are right rather than wrong. Most of us will go our whole lives without ever stepping out of communities which have a strong Christian group to support you. For 19 years I lived that sheltered life, I struggled with my faith at times, but I always had a group to fall back on. For the most part, my friends believed the same things that I did, and it all seemed so sure to me. Then I moved to the north of the UK, and it all changed.
Very few of my friends here would call themselves religious, let alone Christian. People have tried to have heated debates with me about religion, and since I have never been one to throw my beliefs at people, I generally just smile and nod. Being in a position where you are one of the few Christians has taught me so much, and I hope that if you are in the same position as me, you will learn the same things.
You will be laughed at and told that you are wrong
When it is not something you have grown up with your whole life, religion can be weird and often times very intimidating. I’ve heard it all, from “you do realize your ‘holy water’ is just tap water, right?” and “I bet some random person just wrote the Bible up one day to give people hope for something more.”
People will ask you questions that will blow your mind
Usually when I am asked questions about my religion, I am in a religious setting, and if you don’t know the answer, someone else will. But here it’s different, it’s like every question that comes to me, I find that I’m at a loss for words. Some questions are things you’ve never thought about either, like “wouldn’t the world be war free without religion?”
You will doubt your faith
I’d be lying if I sat here and told you that I haven’t had doubts while here. You will be explaining something that your church does and people will be looking at you like you’re crazy, and for the first time you will realize that it is actually kind of odd. You will be asked questions that will make you wonder the same things, and maybe for the first time you will question if what you believe is even true.
Your faith relies on you being able to grow on your own
We are taught from a young age that our religion only grows when we are basically forced to make it grow. We go to bible studies and worship services and camps, where we fall in love with Him. And it works, our relationship with God grows. But then those support groups stop, and after about a month, you realize that the growth of your faith has stopped as well. Having a one-on-one relationship with God is so essential to maintaining your faith. That means turning off Netflix and pulling out your Bible, and spending time each day with Him. When you have doubts or are asked questions that blow your mind, look up answers online or message a friend from home. This is the hardest part of not having your Christian community, but it is also how your faith will grow the strongest.
You are here for a reason
The most important thing to remember is that God has a plan. He has put you in this situation for a reason, whether that is to spread the word of God or to test how strong your relationship with Him really is. There are days that are extremely hard, and days that are amazing, but through it all, remembering that you have a purpose for being in that situation will get you through it.
I hope that at some point in your life you are in my shoes
What an eye-opening experience this has been. Part of being a Christian is staying true to your beliefs, no matter what. This has been the ultimate test. I have failed at times, but at the end of the day, I have never seen God so present in my life. God will take you on so many adventures in your life, and many of them will be scary. But there is no greater feeling than knowing that your faith is strong enough to withhold all the doubts and that God has the power to guide you through anything.
