Was this the beginning?
I sat in the shade on the low wall outside Radford's main dining hall contemplating my next move. It was hot and I wasn't keen about the more formal attire I was wearing for my earlier meeting with the athletic director.
A tall, lanky student with a friendly smile sat a few feet from me. I overheard him greet a few passers-by and chat with some. The usual college conversations... food, homework, ultimate frisbee. Something inside me nudged. I stood up and walked over, introduced myself and asked to join him. Jerod is friendly and has an openness in his interactions. He shared about his journey of applying and being accepted to a number of top-tier state schools but, for some reason, feeling like he needed to be at Radford.
Jerod became excited as he explained his involvement in a mentorship program for young boys without father-figures. He spoke enthusiastically about his desire to model to the boys that hard work, diligence, and commitment are worth it. His passion for change was contagious as he shared about being involved in the NAACP and the Black Lives Matter movement in his home town. He seems thoughtful, earnest, and somehow courageously hopeful.
I asked him a question I have asked a lot lately, "What is one problem or injustice that you would be willing to spend the rest of your life working to address?" Jerod only thought for a few seconds before answering. "The issue of racial injustice and racism in America is bad. I want to help change that. I think we need more tolerance and we need to learn to coexist."
"I can definitely agree with that." I responded. "I want to see change in that area, too. That's part of why I do what I do."
"What do you do, exactly?" Jerod asked, now leaning in.
"I help build communities of students who are committed to knowing each other deeply and loving each other, challenging each other to grow spiritually and learn how to follow Jesus with every area of their lives, and then, together, we look around us at the injustices and issues on campus and in the world and see what we can do to bring change."
Jerod's eyes lit up. "Wow. That sounds amazing."
"I'll be really honest, Jerod," I continued. "I grew up in the generation of tolerance and coexistence. We were taught to pursue tolerance. But I think there's so much more we could have than just tolerance."
"What do you mean?" Jerod asked, a little puzzled.
"Well, I was sitting over there a few feet away from you before coming over here. I was facing the same direction. That's tolerance. Tolerance only asks me to acknowledge your existence and your right to exist. Coexistence only asks me to give you space and permission to go about your business. Neither tolerance nor coexistence asks us to get to know each other, understand each other's stories, and try to see the world through the other person's eyes. I think we were made for more than tolerance."
"I never thought about that." Jerod said.
"I think we were made for unity. Unity demands that we know each other and work to understand and hear each other. Unity demands that we not just acknowledge each others' existence but work to love each other. That's a tall order, especially when you look at where the world is right now," I continued.
I quickly changed the subject. "What's your spiritual background?"
"Oh, I grew up in church. I love Jesus and I love reading the Bible!" Jerod became animated as he spoke.
"Have you found Christian community on campus yet?" I asked.
Jerod's shoulders slumped a little as he answered, "No. I guess I haven't made time to look yet."
"You might not believe me," I said, "but I don't think this was an accident that we met. For years now, people have been praying for students who are willing to build a community of students, committed to unity and to following Jesus with their whole lives and to bringing transformation to the world around them. I think you might be one of those students we've been praying for. What do you think?"
Jerod looked at me, not entirely sure what to say. Then, a smile spread across his face.
"Wow. I like that."
"I'll make you a deal." I said. "I'll meet with you for an hour every week to pray, to study Scripture, and to commit to challenging each other to follow Jesus and take risks on campus. We'll do this together. Deal?"
Jerod grinned widened. "Are you serious?"
"And you can bring friends!" I added.
"Oh man, I have several friends who would be all over this!" Jerod got excited.
"I'll meet you next week for lunch and I'll treat for the first week." I said.
"Oh man... that's a deal!" Jerod said.
Was this the beginning? The re-birth of Intervarsity at Radford? Only time will tell. But as we parted ways, I found myself praying fervently for Jerod and his friends. There are many distractions and easy detours a student can find themselves on in seven days. But God has brought me here and He will bring the right students at the right time to build HIS community at Radford. But I do hope that September 6 in front of Dalton was the day and place that everything began to change.
It will be a slow change... sometimes so slow it will be imperceptible. But change will come. Just like in the Chronicles of Narnia, when Aslan returned, change was slow--winter did not quickly loosen it's icy grip. Spring did not come immediately... But it did come. And spring will come here, too. So, we wait. We pray. We watch. We prepare. We look for those students.
A tall, lanky student with a friendly smile sat a few feet from me. I overheard him greet a few passers-by and chat with some. The usual college conversations... food, homework, ultimate frisbee. Something inside me nudged. I stood up and walked over, introduced myself and asked to join him. Jerod is friendly and has an openness in his interactions. He shared about his journey of applying and being accepted to a number of top-tier state schools but, for some reason, feeling like he needed to be at Radford.
Jerod became excited as he explained his involvement in a mentorship program for young boys without father-figures. He spoke enthusiastically about his desire to model to the boys that hard work, diligence, and commitment are worth it. His passion for change was contagious as he shared about being involved in the NAACP and the Black Lives Matter movement in his home town. He seems thoughtful, earnest, and somehow courageously hopeful.
I asked him a question I have asked a lot lately, "What is one problem or injustice that you would be willing to spend the rest of your life working to address?" Jerod only thought for a few seconds before answering. "The issue of racial injustice and racism in America is bad. I want to help change that. I think we need more tolerance and we need to learn to coexist."
"I can definitely agree with that." I responded. "I want to see change in that area, too. That's part of why I do what I do."
"What do you do, exactly?" Jerod asked, now leaning in.
"I help build communities of students who are committed to knowing each other deeply and loving each other, challenging each other to grow spiritually and learn how to follow Jesus with every area of their lives, and then, together, we look around us at the injustices and issues on campus and in the world and see what we can do to bring change."
Jerod's eyes lit up. "Wow. That sounds amazing."
"I'll be really honest, Jerod," I continued. "I grew up in the generation of tolerance and coexistence. We were taught to pursue tolerance. But I think there's so much more we could have than just tolerance."
"What do you mean?" Jerod asked, a little puzzled.
"Well, I was sitting over there a few feet away from you before coming over here. I was facing the same direction. That's tolerance. Tolerance only asks me to acknowledge your existence and your right to exist. Coexistence only asks me to give you space and permission to go about your business. Neither tolerance nor coexistence asks us to get to know each other, understand each other's stories, and try to see the world through the other person's eyes. I think we were made for more than tolerance."
"I never thought about that." Jerod said.
"I think we were made for unity. Unity demands that we know each other and work to understand and hear each other. Unity demands that we not just acknowledge each others' existence but work to love each other. That's a tall order, especially when you look at where the world is right now," I continued.
I quickly changed the subject. "What's your spiritual background?"
"Oh, I grew up in church. I love Jesus and I love reading the Bible!" Jerod became animated as he spoke.
"Have you found Christian community on campus yet?" I asked.
Jerod's shoulders slumped a little as he answered, "No. I guess I haven't made time to look yet."
"You might not believe me," I said, "but I don't think this was an accident that we met. For years now, people have been praying for students who are willing to build a community of students, committed to unity and to following Jesus with their whole lives and to bringing transformation to the world around them. I think you might be one of those students we've been praying for. What do you think?"
Jerod looked at me, not entirely sure what to say. Then, a smile spread across his face.
"Wow. I like that."
"I'll make you a deal." I said. "I'll meet with you for an hour every week to pray, to study Scripture, and to commit to challenging each other to follow Jesus and take risks on campus. We'll do this together. Deal?"
Jerod grinned widened. "Are you serious?"
"And you can bring friends!" I added.
"Oh man, I have several friends who would be all over this!" Jerod got excited.
"I'll meet you next week for lunch and I'll treat for the first week." I said.
"Oh man... that's a deal!" Jerod said.
Was this the beginning? The re-birth of Intervarsity at Radford? Only time will tell. But as we parted ways, I found myself praying fervently for Jerod and his friends. There are many distractions and easy detours a student can find themselves on in seven days. But God has brought me here and He will bring the right students at the right time to build HIS community at Radford. But I do hope that September 6 in front of Dalton was the day and place that everything began to change.
It will be a slow change... sometimes so slow it will be imperceptible. But change will come. Just like in the Chronicles of Narnia, when Aslan returned, change was slow--winter did not quickly loosen it's icy grip. Spring did not come immediately... But it did come. And spring will come here, too. So, we wait. We pray. We watch. We prepare. We look for those students.
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