Life Out There (Preserving Our Faith)
by Nadia Lawand (Jun. ’02)
“Live in such a way that those who know you but don’t know God will come to know God because they know you.” — Anonymous
This quote encompasses my thoughts perfectly. Over the past few months at University, I have come to realize many things about religion, college years, and combining the two. It is extremely difficult to be an Orthodox Christian without being questioned or even put down. So how do we balance our post-secondary education and our faith?
At the post-secondary-level, the search for knowledge and truth is the main purpose for further education. We go to school to study and become knowledgeable in different areas, and at the same time we attempt to seek the truth. Unfortunately, with corporate dollars creeping into many aspects of school life, such as news programs, vendors, and advertising, school has become a place where students receive products and messages that the sponsors want them to rather than being a place to seek the truth. It has become a place where mainstream philosophies of life are promoted to be the highest. We step into philosophy classes where we are feed the idea that God does not exist and that such ideas are irrational. This is a situation I find myself in frequently, being a philosophy minor student.
So am I saying that post-secondary is good for nothing? No, don’t worry parents- I’m not saying that at all. Far from it. What I am trying to say is that we must step out of the box. As Orthodox Christians, we need to lead by example and love one another in order to bring others closer to God. We need to learn how to listen to everyone’s ideas and opinions, do research and filter out that which is harmful and false. Many of us have learned that not everything everyone says is true. When a teacher or fellow classmate says something, it doesn’t mean it is the truth. We have the power to decide for ourselves what is true and good, and it is our responsibility to seek that truth.
When I step into my philosophy classes, I am frequently the only person who believes in God, or admits to it. This usually causes people to argue with me and ask me to prove what I am saying. I usually tell them to prove to me that what I believe is false! I’ve basically come to realize that this isn’t something we can really argue, but rather we must open other people’s hearts and minds to what Orthodox Christians truly believe.
This is why we need to step out of that black box that so many members of our society find themselves stuck in. I use this expression as a metaphor for people who are closed-minded and who don’t search for the truth and educate themselves. So as we all break from school for summer fun, let’s not forget that we’re constantly learning and seeking knowledge. It is only when we are able to open our hearts to others, when we serve as an example to them, that we will help others to know God.
