Laura Neely Essay

Cultivating Faith in a Collegiate Neighborhood

I remember my first day as a student on my college campus of Queens University. That day will be etched into my memory as the beginning of a new era of my life; full of fear and of hope. Fear, because leaving my hometown seemed like leaving behind everything I was familiar with, and coming to a place as foreign to me as Dorothy must have felt when her house dropped from the sky into Oz, but at least she had the familiarity of her own house.  I also had hope because I knew that college was a part of growing up. In college I would learn about the world, learn about myself, and figure out how I fit in this great big world. Leaving home felt like losing all that I built up in the first eighteen years of my life and that is where I gained perspective through my faith. I knew the God was going to watch out for me, and teach me many lessons as I made my way through college.

Faith is not a simple thing, especially in a world where self-help is confused with religion, and headlines bring news of poverty, genocide, and war. Learning broadens a student’s scope, and shows her phenomena that threaten to break her very foundation. As college students’ heads fill with philosophy, politics, and physics, where is religion? Nietzsche proudly proclaims that “God is dead,” and DNA puts our own genes right in front of our eyes.  All of these reasons lead some college students to question their religious beliefs, and some to give up on religion all together. There is nothing wrong with questioning God because asking questions helps us understand God better. God is intricate and greater than any of us; therefore, it makes sense that we might have to grapple with the idea of God from time to time. College is a place of change and discovery, and sometimes that also applies to faith.

If I were responsible for reaching out to college students who were struggling with their faith I would focus on finding ways to nurture them and build up the community of faith around them.  In the book of Matthew, Jesus declares:

‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and the first commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt.22:37-39, NRSV)

God does not ask us to ignore questions we may have about faith, but in searching for answers we come to love God even more. Also, Jesus asks us to show compassion to all people. He does not add in: “… unless they are not sure about me,” or “… as long as they are Christians.” All loving my neighbor specifies is to love another person. In his book The New Being, Paul Tillch says, “there is no love that does not become help.” This quote from Tillich is a good indication of why we should love others. As Christians, or simply as human beings, our lives are interconnected, and this relation to each other makes us all neighbors.  If we are to take up the two greatest of the commandments, then showing God’s love and support to those who are struggling with their faith is what God asks of us. We can serve as beacons of light through showing God’s love to individuals who are struggling with their faith.

So what does showing Christ’s love look like in the situation of supporting someone who is unsure about what they believe? I think it would mean presenting yourself as someone who is a good listener and supporter, and not with an angry, “I am right” and “you are wrong” kind of attitude. In my high school youth group I experienced such a place. On Wednesday nights the high school youth of my church gathered for pizza and discussion in a group we called “Faith Matters,” or “FM” as it was nicknamed. The FM group was a little different than the normal Sunday night youth group crowd, even though some of the people were the same. This group was small, diverse in opinions, open to talking about anything and everything, and one of the most supportive and close groups of which I have been a part. Faith Matters aimed to address just what it the name says: any matters concerning faith. After the events of September 11, 2001 occurred, we reflected on the tragedy of the events, and how to understand the faith of Islam with open hearts and minds. When a presidential election was approaching, we talked about where, if anywhere, faith fit into politics. We learned about Mormons, studied psychological theories, and philosophized about what was good. Some discussions were heated, but we always ended in prayer and afterwards gave each other hugs before departing. One fascinating aspect of Faith Matters was some of the youth who attended week upon week were unsure about their belief in God, but there we were every week wrestling with issues or faith between believers and non-believers. Sometimes I think that I learned more about my faith through those Wednesday night debates over pizza, than any other point in my life.

The model used in my experience in Faith Matters is a model that would work well on a college campus. Students interested in talking about faith could meet weekly for a meal and discussion. One person could serve as the facilitator, and topic suggestions could come from students. This does not have to be a structured Bible study, but open to change with the dynamics of the group. The only rule is that everyone shows each other respect and love for his or her neighbor. I think that would help those struggling with their faith because it gives them a place where they can share their ideas, and not feel judged. I know that in the times where I have felt unsure about what I believe I feel isolated and lonely, but if someone is willing to listen and share his or her own thoughts with me then I am not so afraid. People become ostracized when people claim their own truths as the only way, but when beliefs and thoughts are shared unity is created.

Another way that I would reach out to those who are unsure of their faith is through organizing service opportunities to international sites, local communities and various places across the United States. The Queens University of Charlotte motto is: Non ministrari sed ministrare, and is translated as “Not to be served, but to serve.” I think Queens’ notion of striving to serve gives students a feeling of humility and a connection with humanity. This philosophy is one very close to Christian ideals, as it relates to how we show love to neighbors. Through organized service work students who might not normally encounter each other are brought together under a common goal. Although the surface level purpose of service is to help and provide assistance, I think that it has an underlying purpose of fostering relationships that crosses boundaries.

Through offering up assistance and fostering relationships, service is a way to support individuals who are unsure about their faith. Service brings students into an unfamiliar situation there they must reflect on their lives and their own relation to the world. Since my high school days I have been on many church mission trips, and since college I have had the opportunity to go on several international service trips. One of my experiences took me to Guatemala. My college group stayed in the mountainside town of San Lucas Toliman. Every day we were given jobs to do such as picking coffee, digging trenches, or moving rocks.The Guatemalans that I worked with on these days had a work ethic unlike anything I have ever seen before. After a short amount of time it was clear that the jobs my group was helping with were not really progressing as quickly as they were when done by the native Guatemalans who surrounded us. If this trip was not about the work, but then what was it about? After reflecting on this experience and talking about it with my fellow travelers, I came to realize the reason God put me in Guatemala was to hear the stories of the men and women around me.

The Guatemalans I met had lives that were very different from mine, and we were strangers to each other, but they were kind enough to take time to tell me, and my other travelers, about their lives. We heard stories about losing children, husbands, and wives during their civil war, we were told philosophies on life, and explained daily routines. Another aspect of this trip was the daily reflection our group participated in every night. They were able to share experiences and thoughts candidly. We talked about God’s role in our trip, and how we experienced God in our interactions among the people of Guatemala.

I think an experience like this one helps us to put our faith in a different light, and view it with new eyes, and this can be helpful in coming to grips with what we believe. Service experiences do not have to in a place as far away as Guatemala, but they could also fall in our own backyard. What is important is that students come with open eyes, minds, and hearts to help others, and are open to the ways that such an experience will impact them.

Overall, faith is something that should not be taken at face value, and those trying to reach out to students who are searching for answers about God should take a loving approach. If I were responsible for assisting searching students I would implement open and compassionate dialogue, as well as service opportunities to enrich faith. Through dialogue and compassion seekers of faith are given the tools they need to discover their beliefs. In a world with no easy answers, Jesus asks us to love our neighbors, and He later concludes, “Do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:28, NRSV).