To Christians considering Greek life - You can.
When I moved off to college after spending my freshman year at a local college in my hometown, everyone warned me that it would be hard to be a Christian while away at college. They also told me it would be more of a struggle trying to be a Christian if I were to join a Greek organization. While some of this may be true, there are several things that people should consider: 1) There are other Christians in Greek life, 2) Not everyone who goes Greek is into partying every weekend, 3) The Greek stereotype needs to be put to rest, and 4) Majority of Greek organizations are Christian-based. When I decided to join a Greek organization my sophomore year of college, I knew I would be labeled and viewed to be part of the stereotype (a big party girl who buys her friends) even if that was far from how I was living my life. I also knew that I would have to make a decision - would I let society define me or would I be identified as a child of God?
Luckily, I decided to beat the odds and prove society wrong about the Greek stereotype. I chose to not deny or hide my identity in Jesus Christ, but rather I chose to boast in all that He is and ever will be. Yes, there are many times when I feel judged, my belief gets questioned (and even tested), and when the struggle to remain a Christian becomes unbearable; however, there is so much good at the same time. As a young believer, I like to view the Greek life at my school, as well as my organization as a whole, as my personal mission field, because I know that out of the people in this specific group, there is at least one person who doesn’t know Jesus and someone who knows about Him but has never really experienced Him.
As Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and to go out into the world and spread the Good News. The Bible also calls us to be lights in a world full of darkness. College is a time to find yourself and establish who you want to be. I firmly believe that being a member of a Greek organization allows you to do just that, even if you're a Christian. For starters, you now have a million sisters (or brothers) who are there to support you in all that you stand for and who accept you for who you truly are. Through being in Greek life, you can spread the gospel to so many people even while at a social event or sisterhood. The sky is the limit when it comes to how many people you come in contact with. Being Greek also teaches you how to become apart of something much bigger than yourself through a wide variety of different philanthropies and community service activities. Yes, Greek life has its up, downs, highs, lows and everything else in between; however, you will not find a larger group of past and present individuals who come together for several purposes much bigger than themselves.
It only takes one person to start a ripple effect, and it will go a long way. God did not call us to be comfortable in who we are, because if He did we would all probably be sitting on our couch binge watching Netflix. Instead, He called us to be uncomfortable. So the next time someone tries to stereotype a Greek organization and tell you that it will change your life for the worse, remember that, as Christians, we have to remove ourselves from our comfort zones and just simply seek Jesus in a society that is lacking Him. Who knows, you may be the ripple that changes the way society views Christians in a Greek organization.
In His Love,
Catelyn
