Oh, Christian colleges. You've gotta love them. I know I do! Well, at least for the most part I do. But, I, and others like me who attend small Christian liberal arts colleges know, that there are certain struggles that we have to deal with. Here are my most common struggles of going to a Christian college.
1. I can't tell if that cute guy sitting across from me in the library is doing his devotional and actively pursuing God, or if he's just doing his homework.
Okay, this sounds a little like a joke, and it kind of is. But, it also is not. It's actually a huge, difficult, scary realization. Because here's the thing about going to a Christian college- everyone, or almost everyone is a "Christian." But, the problem is distinguishing between guys who are Christian and guys who are actually pursuing Christ. Because I don't want a relationship with a "Christian"--some lukewarm guy who goes to church on Sunday and reads the Bible when he wants a "helpline to God." I want a guy who is actually and actively pursuing a relationship with Christ, so that he can actually have a relationship with me. And, going to a Christian college, my biggest fear is that I won't be able to tell who is and who isn't, and that I'll end up in a relationship with a guy who isn't (whether it be because I fall for a guy too easily or I'm too scared all the genuinely good ones are gone).
2. That ridiculously high chapel requirement.
Let's be honest here--chapel is not helping as much as everyone hopes it is. We're required to go to 22 chapels a semester. That's 22 hours of "spiritual enrichment," or whatever. So, here's the problem I have with chapel--it just doesn't help. Because for people actively pursuing a relationship with God, they aren't being fed. They come and pay attention, because they are required to. For those who are not actively pursuing Christ, who are "lukewarm Christians"--they are hearing all the same things they grew up hearing and aren't being challenged, forced to grow, or challenge their faith. And, most of them just come to chapel and do homework anyway. My time would be much better served using that time to do something. Serving people, helping others. Or, sitting, praying, reading my Bible, and being in fellowship with my friends who are trying to pursue Christ just as much as I am. I'd rather sit in a room, alone, and talk to God. Because that's helping me grow- not listening to the worship band play another rendition of "Oceans" while I hear a pastor speak about how amazing God's love is.
3. There is certain stigma and judgment placed on you--simply because of the tradition you were raised in.
At a Free Methodist College like Roberts, you tell people you're Free Methodist and they assume things about you. You, or your family, are related to or know B.T Roberts. You probably hate dancing and will cringe if anyone mentions alcohol. But, there's not just stigma and assumptions surrounding your denomination. Every one has it, and you do it to everyone you meet with every different denomination. Catholic, non denominational, baptist, and even non religious people
4. You can't tell anyone anything without them saying "I'll pray for you."
Praying for someone is not actually an issue. But, it's so often used as a filler, something people say because they don't know what to say. And, most of the time, they forget to pray for you, or don't pray for you. I'd rather have someone say something, or even say they don't know what to say, and then offer to pray for me and with me right there.
5. Having everyone assume you automatically agree with whatever views your school, your denomination, or even the Christian faith hold.
Guess what? I am a Christian, but that doesn't mean I hate homosexuals, or that I am automatically a pro-life republican. I'm Free Methodist, but that doesn't mean I am against dancing or drinking or that I am super conservative.
6. Randomly interrupting someone's prayer walk, or worse, having yours' interrupted.
On the first day of first semester, I was walking out a building and I ran into an upperclassman who I knew from Bible Quizzing. So, I said hi and we talked for a minute. Come to find out, he was on a prayer walk which I had promptly interrupted. And, halfway through second semester, I was outside the library on a bench doing my devotion, and my friend came up behind me and hugged me and told me "you go girl." So, I assume he knew I was doing my devotion, and I wasn't doing it outside so people would know I was doing it, it was just a beautiful day I was trying to enjoy. But, he interrupted me, although not in a bad way. But I was still taken out of "the moment" for a second or two, and had to get back in the mood. Plus, let's not forget that time you and all your friends were doing chemistry homework in the lounge while a Bible study was happening.
7. Assuming your Old and New Testament classes will be easy.
I grew up in church, I read the Bible, I have 19 New Testament books memorized. They shouldn't be that hard, right? Wrong, Most of the information is not straight forward remembering of stories. Most of it is interpretation, history, and context. Which requires study and thought. The quoting of the genealogy of Matthew can't help me now.
But, despite all these struggles, going to a Christian college is the best experience ever. I mean, where else can you ask any and everyone to pray for you? Where else would you get students offering up their houses and off campus apartments in the case of a campus wide power outage? Where else can you lock yourself in a classroom and talk and yell and pray to God without judgment, and instead with people asking to pray with you and for you?
