What we all want

One of my favorite places in the world is Tuscaloosa, AL. Yes, I love sports and following the Crimson Tide. But I also love the atmosphere of a college campus. It has an energy about it that draws me. So spending the last three days there has been a joy.

For the second straight year, I was there as the festivities surrounding "Rush" came to a close. Once again, I was a part of a group allowed to watch a closed scrimmage on the same day as what they call Bid Day.

Now I don't have any understanding at all of Bid Day. Or the whole Rush process. Maybe if my niece from ∆∆∆ reads this, she can sit me down and explain to me - I really do think it would be interesting. But I do know this - it involves hundreds (thousands?) of young ladies swarming around campus. When I took my dog for a walk this morning, we were surrounded. College women everywhere. 

Then there were swarms of parental units. And finally, lots and lots of young men, college guys all dressed in button down shirts and shorts. Presumably, the latter two groups were there to support their family/friends as they went through (what I think was) the process of being selected by the right sorority.

Why am I writing about this? Well, it was an overwhelming sight and worthy of sharing. But that's not it. It was watching these waves and waves of young people in a process with one goal: finding a place of community. What we all want is to find other people to live life with. To love. To play with. To eat meals with. Even to fight with. Life is not meant to be lived alone. And a college campus has to be an intimidating place for a freshman who doesn't know anybody. So there they were, all longing to be accepted by a new group of friends and find community.

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This is why the Bible is so clear that Jesus came to establish a community of followers, who together would show the world that there is a loving Father who has come to redeem us and set right the things that have gone horribly wrong with the world. One of those things is isolation, which finds its end in loneliness. How do we see this in the Scriptures?

• God called Abraham not to be a man who lived in fellowship with him alone, but to be the father of a great nation that would show the world what it's like to submit to the Creator.

• All through the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) God tells his people that they are an example to the nations. Not individually, but as a group.

• Jesus called 12 men to travel and live together for three years, teaching them to love each other.

• And, while there are many other examples, I'll end the list with this: In John 17, Jesus prays for his followers - both alive then and those to come later (us) - and the essence of his prayer was that we would love each other in unity so that the world would that his message was true.

For an excellent treatment of this, take time to read this essay (Believing and Belonging) by NT Wright.

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So this truth hit me as I saw all these young ladies who clearly understood the importance of community. So what if we got this? What if church wasn't a place that we go once a week because we feel obligated? What if our churches and small groups were places we could not wait to get to? What if we didn't rationalize that "faith is personal and I can do it on my own"? What if we got up on Sunday thrilled, the way these young ladies were thrilled to find a group to accept them?

Yes, what if we lived our lives the way God intended? What if we broke the chains of of our individualistic Western culture, and really opened up to each other?

Wow, what a world it would be! And what a picture of real life for the world. We might have thousands swarming around, desperate to be part of what Jesus is offering through us.

Together. Not alone. That is real Kingdom living.

See you there.

What's the big deal?

College is a wonderful place, isn't it? It's a place where young people get prepared for the rest of their lives, and for most a place where they develop their independence. It's the first time they've been away from their families, and so it's where they can develop their own identity.

So what can we expect from them? Is it inevitable that they will all sow their wild oats? Is that a good thing? Do we just chalk it all up to hormones and the idea that kids will be kids? Or is it possible for college to be a place where a young person grows in every way - including spiritually?

This question has been thrust into the national spotlight by the recent suspension of Brigham Young University (BYU) basketball player Brandon Davies. Have you been following it? If not, you can get up to speed with this link to an article from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Short version: BYU came into the week ranked #3 in the country and has a chance to be a top regional seed in the NCAA basketball tournament. They are a legitimate contender for the the national title. And then within the last couple of days, one of their key starters (one averaging 11 points a game who is also a great rebounder) was dismissed from the team for breaking the school's honor code. The offense? He had premarital sex with his girlfriend.

Has it hurt his team? Well, their one game since his dismissal was an 82-64 loss to New Mexico. Ouch!

The reaction is predictable. Some are writing that it's refreshing for a university to have a disciplinary code and stick to it. Others are saying that he's a college student for goodness' sake! What is college about? Well, according to many, beer and coed dorms are the sacred cows of college life. If you don't exercise your freedom with alot of drinking and partying, you're missing out on the experience. So how in the world can this kid be criticized? Doesn't everybody do it? Especially if they're in a committed relationship. Right?

Well, it is certainly a challenge. The pressure is tremendous and few are able to stand up. Just spend a weekend on a college campus (as I often do) and you know that. Swimming against the tide is very, very difficult.

But you know what? It is possible to live your faith on a college campus - even one with the party atmosphere of most major college campuses. My late sister Kim went to Alabama years ago and experienced incredible growth. Her independence was a chance to make her faith her own, and she did. A scholarship in her name has sent many students to Tuscaloosa over the last few years, following in her footsteps. And I know many current college students at Alabama and Auburn who are standing strong.

But, like I said, it is very difficult. This is why my friend Tommy has started a ministry called the TransMission. He has a burden for helping high school seniors make a healthy spiritual transition from high school to college. If you are (or know) a high school senior or college freshman, you should check it out. Learn more about it here.

So this kid is off the basketball team, and his team's chances of winning a championship will suffer. Fair? Well, sure, he knew what he was signing up for. In fact, he is extremely remorseful and understands it was wrong. But I'm personally rooting for grace to prevail here...grace greater than all our sin. But more than anything, I do not want to sell this kid short. It's insulting to him to say that he couldn't help it, as if he did not have choices. I give him alot more credit than that.

He made a mistake and he knows it. I believe he will learn from it. I pray that's how it goes...for him, and thousands of other college students. Thank you, Tommy and other college ministers, for committing your life to helping them on the path.