This past weekend, I did stuff.
Pretty awesome stuff if I might say so myself. Last Thursday, I packed my bags, hopped in a car and drove down to Lynchburg, Virginia. The average American probably has no clue where Lynchburg is, and to be honest without my trusty smart phone I wouldn't have made it either.
In Lynchburg, I had one of the most life changing weekends of my entire life. My perspective was shifted, and like Abraham in Genesis 15, God brought me out of my tent and into the starlight.
Sooooo what were you doing in Lynchburg?
Well actually I was there for a college visit. Wait! Don't close the tab or hit the back button! I promise it gets better! I was visiting Liberty University.
Unfortunately, some of you are probably in the same situation I was in earlier this summer- Not having a clue what Liberty University was.
Liberty University is a Christian College whose motto is "Training Champions for Christ since 1971". It is actually the largest Christian University in the world.
I have never been a huge fan of the concept of Christian higher education. It was too hypocritical.
It seemed to embrace mediocrity. It was shallow, empty, and pointless.
But this summer at Band Camp...
I'm kidding. I was never in band, but that just felt right. Instead, this summer I went to Summit (an apologetic conference) at Bryan College. I had the privilege to spend two weeks with Christians who took education seriously, on a Christian campus that took education seriously. All of a sudden, I found myself slightly interested in a college like this. Then I met those Liberty people. You can spot them from across a room. And if they spot each other... well you can be sure a spontaneous chant will occur. They seemed to love their school.... ok seriously who actually loves their school? What was wrong with these people? I left Summit intrigued, and eventually decided to check into it. Upon finding my program and deciding I could probably get some scholarships, I decided to apply. I know, I know, you all wish you made as spiritual of decisions as that one. Then I was invited to visit Liberty for a weekend, for the aptly named "College For A Weekend". So I did. I packed my bags and went.
That's where things started to get weird.
As I checked in, and glanced around there were smiling people everywhere. It was actually kind of creepy. You know, the good kind of creepy. Then came my dorm mates. I was crashing a two person dorm room and taking their valuable space for three days. I would have been annoyed if I were them. Instead they moved things around, welcomed me in, asked me about myself and my plans, and offered to show me around. I skeptically agreed, assuming that everyone was putting on their best face for the interested kid.... typical.
The next morning, we were told we had to go to some thing called Convocation. The picture I had in my mind was like a few praise songs, a "Jesus loves You! Go get good grades!", and that everyone would be on their way. I was wrong.
Stop Everything! This is Everything!
Convocation brought Liberty campus to a screeching halt.
But this stop had a purpose. Everyone and their mother crowded into the Vines Center (no literally there were mothers there I promise), found their seat or standing room, and slowly grew silent. Then Liberty University worshiped God. If that sentence doesn't shock you, read it a few more times. Coming from a secular university I was overwhelmed. This doesn't happen. This should not be happening. As the singing concluded I had to brush a tear from my eye as I felt the Spirit move. #ThingsChristiansSay But for real. A man stood up and walked to the front of the stage. His words summarized everything my heart wanted to scream: "This is what it's all about."
After some words, and more praise, Liberty walked back out of the Vines Center. And they knew what it was all about.
It didn't end there.
In every advising session, every late night burger run, every conversation, I found a campus united in purpose, united in vision, united in Christ. As I heard Christian music, and saw prayer circles as the football players warmed up for the big game, I had to ask the person next to me..."How do you get used to this? This is weird man."
Football games don't have Christian warm-up music! You play "Turn Down for What?" or "Amazing" by Kanye West. And maybe a couple people pray, but the whole team? And now the other team is doing it too! It's contagious! We've got to get out of here!
But in all seriousness, Liberty was serious!
Why so serious?
Serious about football, serious about academics, serious about worship, and serious about Jesus. And now that I look at it, that is the way it should be.
"He is before all things,
And in him, all things hold together"
-Colossians 1:17
Jesus is Lord over all things. Over football, your psychology class, your worship time, your dorm life, your family, your pain, your circumstances. If we are serious about Jesus, then we should be serious about everything else too! Liberty made that real for me. I saw the gospel infuse the parts of college life I never thought it could. I saw the commitment to excellence that many Christian organizations throw aside. I saw God.
So it's got Jesus stamped on everything..So what?
It's true. A lot of people claim Jesus, and a lot of them don't live like him. Putting Jesus's name on everything doesn't mean much. "But some of them don't live it!" you say. That's fair, but neither do I! Apart from grace we are all hypocrites. Our righteousness is like filthy rags...bloody menstrual garments if you want to go all Greek with it.Yea I know that is gross... but so is us trying to act like we can get it together.
So no, not everyone is living it, at Liberty or anywhere on this earth. All I can say is what I felt, and what I saw, and what I experienced. And to wrap it all up in a nice, scriptural burrito:
"The Lord is the Spirit,
And where the Spirit of the Lord is....
There is LIBERTY. "
-2 Corinthians 3:17
