as i am gearing up for the fall semester, starting in just a few weeks, i’m thinking about my last semester and how i can change some things about how i approach bible college.
when i first moved to LA i was living in the valley, which was nice because i got to stay with some family and be closer to downtown, but one thing i noticed, i was far away. now, school was only a thirty minute drive from my house, but most of the people who go to my school live right in simi valley, so my being so far away made it very difficult to be in the loop and stay connected. now eventually, i moved to camarillo to be closer to the community in which i was involved.
what i thought to be a detriment to my growth as i moved to a new city actually gave me a pretty unique perspective on bible college. if you’ve never been to a bible college, it’s what you’d find at any christian college, or any college for that matter, but amplified.
there is a bible college bubble. if you’re not careful it will trap you!
i do appreciate how motivated the staff and faculty at EBC are about pushing people outside that bubble and not losing touch with the rest of the world, but it does happen.
it can be as simple as only seeing your “christian friends” everyday or only having conversations about theology or could be as drastic as not knowing what the prices are for milk at the grocery store because in the name of community you’re always at your friends house consuming their groceries and never out of the house talking with regular people. (if you thought i just implied bible college students are not normal… you would be correct.)
now, community is not a bad thing. in fact, Jesus had community. but what did he do on a regular basis? push the limits of the community. he was frequently leaving the people he was with for quieter places, or worse: abandoning the holy ones for sinners!
so here are a few tips for making sure your not in the bible college bubble:
1. make sure you still have some friends that aren’t bible college students
you may have scared them all away with your talks of methuselah, calvinism and your undying affection for john piper, but get em back! you need them to keep you grounded.
2. make sure you still have some friends that aren’t chrisitans.
we’re supposed to be reaching those who don’t know Jesus, how can you do that if you don’t know any? the number one way people meet Jesus is through meaningful relationships with those who do.
3. make sure you still can talk normal
bible college and create a whole new language. no the “thees” and “thous” in the king james version of the bible, but more like the “rebukes” and “holiness.” none of the aforementioned words are bad in and of themselves, but we need to remember that most people don’t care about theology. people want to know if this God is real and why they should believe in him, and you’re not going to get there by speaking bible college to them.
4. make sure you can still love, love like Jesus loves
it’s very easy to become judgmental and condemnation trigger happy, but don’t! the bible is very clear on how those people are viewed in the kingdom of God. dear bible college student: it’s not your place to condemn everyone you meet! let’s follow after Jesus’ example of love and grace.
if you can still do these four things, it’s pretty safe to say you’ve successfully avoided the bible college bubble. well done. if you cannot say yes to one or all of these things, it’s time for some introspection.
I actually think so too=] I have been looking around the internet for a while this week, and its kinda hard to find something entertaining to read on blogs:P Maybe thats because there are too much of those around =) But your place actually keeps catching my attention=) Great stories, and kawai design ^__^. Ill be sure to give it more visits from now on .