I was asked to write about what it is like to be a Christian in a secular college and also be in a leadership position. I am an RA (resident assistant), which, in a nutshell, means that I watch over housing. All 350+ students that live in student housing at Indiana University South Bend are under the care of myself, seven other RA’s, and three professional housing staff. Some of the things we do are write incident reports, tend to lockouts at ungodly hours of the night, and be a student resource. We do our best to give students the best living experience at IU South Bend.
The job can be fun, but it can also be very difficult. When someone is breaking policy, such as drinking or doing drugs, we are the ones they deal with/answer to. We assess situations and bring order (most of the time) to these heavy and difficult situations. We have had doors slammed in our faces, been screamed at, and have had residents lie to us about policies being broken.
With this kind of job, it can be hard at times to hold onto what keeps me sane: Jesus. It may sound cliché, but it is not a lie. In those times where residents are yelling at me or being difficult, I rely on the Lord to guide me through those situations and keep myself together. It’s His love for me that allows me to love the residents, despite what they choose to do.
Being a Christian in a secular campus is hard enough, but I think being in a place of authority makes it harder. I used to think it was so cool that no matter where I went, I saw somebody I knew. Now, it’s like I can’t even go anywhere without being noticed. I went to the mall one day and when I was at a store, the girl behind the counter recognized me and said, “Aren’t you an RA?” I didn’t even know who she was!
A difficult part of the job is that we are constantly being watched and it only takes one bad interaction with an RA to change someone’s view on housing in general. If we lose it during an incident, it’s more than likely that the resident will see us out and about and tell someone how bad of an experience they had. When dealing with incidents, it’s important for us to show them love through our words and attitudes. I have found that during an incident if I tell a resident that I am not mad at them and I just need to help them deal with the situation, they are more likely to comply and leave the situation feeling calm.
This job has taught me about the love that God has for us. It has taught me that I can love someone without loving what they choose to do sometimes. I have seen residents in situations where they were caught doing things they shouldn’t have been doing and afterwards they turned around completely and stayed out of trouble.
It has shown me that I shouldn’t judge someone based on their poor choices and not limit what I think God can do in their lives. That’s a very rewarding part of the job. I get to see the progression of most residents. Some choose to do things with very heavy consequences or they choose to leave housing. Whenever a resident slips up, it really hurts my heart for them.
This job has really tested my faith sometimes (in a good way) and really shaped my view on God’s love for us, even when we make mistakes. He sees us when we choose our own way instead of the way He sets before us. When we recognize our mistakes and ask for His help, He steps in our behalf and things turn around, kind of like the way we step in for residents and provide them resources that will help them but also extend a hand to them and let them know that we still care.
One thing I try to stress to residents during incidents is that I still care about them and that I want better for them than what they chose to do. A question I get asked a lot is if I get people in trouble. The answer is simply no. Residents choose to break policy and I am the one they have to deal with sometimes.
Being an authority figure on a secular campus while having faith in Jesus has taught me to love deeper, think broader, and believe stronger. It has taught me that just like I’m being watched as an RA, non-believers are watching me as a Christian. It is important to do our best to love when it’s difficult and not to limit what God can do in our lives.
"Glory is found in our attempts to love out of a strength we do not possess."
-Danny Silk
