Growing up, my parents always told me that their duty was to give me the two most important things in life - Jesus and Education - and with that, I could conquer the world and achieve anything I set my mind to. Now, its common practice to want to mix the two when you have a strong belief in the former. When Jesus is your foundation, you want to get a christian education, work in an environment that reflects the attributes of Christ, etc etc. So it was in my family. My siblings and I all went to Christian schools for primary, secondary and undergraduate learning.
Going to a non-religious affiliated school may be one of the greatest things that has happened to my growing experience. Coming to a really large public school, I had a very specific mindset: People were going to be mean and rude. My professors were not going to care about me, or give me individual time. I was going to be on my own. There were going to be no rules to protect me, or work for my benefit. There were going to be bad things happening all the time that could not be controlled. Forget about their status in the country - I'm not going to be taught the way I should be taught, because frankly, who cares? Nobody has time for that. Working on campus isn't going to be the best experience ever because well, which boss is going to give a ... about me? Just do the work and be gone. That's the mindset I was coming into a really large, non-religious affiliated public school with. But, where on God's green earth did I get this twisted, negative, mindset from? A christian institution. All I ever heard from a lot of people was how non-christian schools sucked in every aspect, but christian schools? They were great and awesome.... and better.
Now I'm listening to these things and taking them in; after all, I had no experience of the other side. People had to know what they were talking about. So imagine my thought process when I got accepted the University of Florida. I knew what it was going to be like, and I was prepared for it. Or... so I thought, until my experience started.
The very first person I had dealings with was the nicest woman ever. Her first sentence to me was a joke she cracked, and as I walked out the door that day she said "hey, let me know if you need anything, and please stop by anytime." (**Paraphrased, cause I don't remember her exact words**) I walked to get lunch and a girl saw me and started a conversation with me because my skirt was oh so cute! Now what was that about people being mean and rude? My professor emailed me after the first week of class wondering if everything was okay because I wasn't really participating and she was concerned because participation was 30% of my grade. I got an email from a campus job hiring a graduate assistant, and when I told her I already held a GA position, she told me that was too bad because I came in "highly recommended" by one of my professors. Another professor asked for my resume because she thought I was a good student and was willing to help me find a great internship after graduation. None of these professors did I have any sort of prior relationship with. Now what was that about professors not caring about you or giving you personal attention? I have one of the best bosses I have EVER had. What was that about bosses just wanting you for the work? I could keep going.. on and on and on.
Why is it hard for us to see people simply as human beings that can be inherently good regardless of religious affiliation? We are not religious creatures. We are God's creatures. All of us. Jumping to conclusions about people because they may not share the same beliefs as you is not giving anyone a chance to express who they are. Christianity is not a religion. It's a culture - you carry it with you wherever you go - to a christian institution, or to a non-religious affiliated one. Just because people don't walk around with the word "christian" pasted on their foreheads (or school brochures and magazines as the case may be) doesn't mean that they are bad people without any sense of good moral judgement.
We live in a twisted world, but the word "christian" doesn't make you a follower of Christ. The ability to shine Jesus through in a place where people don't expect that light is what makes you a part of that culture. Don't walk your journey condemning other people that are not on your path. No two people's journeys are the same, but that doesn't make any bad. It just makes them different. Slamming the character of people whom you barely know anything about doesn't portray the characteristics of the people we claim to be. Live every day trying to see the best in people, and giving them a chance to show you who they are. You never know who you're going to come in contact with, and where you'll meet them. Our business should be to preach our gospel through our lives, and not to preach against others with our words.
Be very careful what you tell people about others. It may speak volumes about yourself.
That is not bad; just different... as i do it.
~***shanpepe***~
Going to a non-religious affiliated school may be one of the greatest things that has happened to my growing experience. Coming to a really large public school, I had a very specific mindset: People were going to be mean and rude. My professors were not going to care about me, or give me individual time. I was going to be on my own. There were going to be no rules to protect me, or work for my benefit. There were going to be bad things happening all the time that could not be controlled. Forget about their status in the country - I'm not going to be taught the way I should be taught, because frankly, who cares? Nobody has time for that. Working on campus isn't going to be the best experience ever because well, which boss is going to give a ... about me? Just do the work and be gone. That's the mindset I was coming into a really large, non-religious affiliated public school with. But, where on God's green earth did I get this twisted, negative, mindset from? A christian institution. All I ever heard from a lot of people was how non-christian schools sucked in every aspect, but christian schools? They were great and awesome.... and better.
Now I'm listening to these things and taking them in; after all, I had no experience of the other side. People had to know what they were talking about. So imagine my thought process when I got accepted the University of Florida. I knew what it was going to be like, and I was prepared for it. Or... so I thought, until my experience started.
The very first person I had dealings with was the nicest woman ever. Her first sentence to me was a joke she cracked, and as I walked out the door that day she said "hey, let me know if you need anything, and please stop by anytime." (**Paraphrased, cause I don't remember her exact words**) I walked to get lunch and a girl saw me and started a conversation with me because my skirt was oh so cute! Now what was that about people being mean and rude? My professor emailed me after the first week of class wondering if everything was okay because I wasn't really participating and she was concerned because participation was 30% of my grade. I got an email from a campus job hiring a graduate assistant, and when I told her I already held a GA position, she told me that was too bad because I came in "highly recommended" by one of my professors. Another professor asked for my resume because she thought I was a good student and was willing to help me find a great internship after graduation. None of these professors did I have any sort of prior relationship with. Now what was that about professors not caring about you or giving you personal attention? I have one of the best bosses I have EVER had. What was that about bosses just wanting you for the work? I could keep going.. on and on and on.
Why is it hard for us to see people simply as human beings that can be inherently good regardless of religious affiliation? We are not religious creatures. We are God's creatures. All of us. Jumping to conclusions about people because they may not share the same beliefs as you is not giving anyone a chance to express who they are. Christianity is not a religion. It's a culture - you carry it with you wherever you go - to a christian institution, or to a non-religious affiliated one. Just because people don't walk around with the word "christian" pasted on their foreheads (or school brochures and magazines as the case may be) doesn't mean that they are bad people without any sense of good moral judgement.
We live in a twisted world, but the word "christian" doesn't make you a follower of Christ. The ability to shine Jesus through in a place where people don't expect that light is what makes you a part of that culture. Don't walk your journey condemning other people that are not on your path. No two people's journeys are the same, but that doesn't make any bad. It just makes them different. Slamming the character of people whom you barely know anything about doesn't portray the characteristics of the people we claim to be. Live every day trying to see the best in people, and giving them a chance to show you who they are. You never know who you're going to come in contact with, and where you'll meet them. Our business should be to preach our gospel through our lives, and not to preach against others with our words.
Be very careful what you tell people about others. It may speak volumes about yourself.
That is not bad; just different... as i do it.
~***shanpepe***~
