AMY LARSON
Staff Writer
Anyone who spends any amount of time on the Pepperdine campus will recognize the massive schism between those who attend a specific church service and those who do not.
Beyond division, there are times when the groups can even get competitive. The first claims the second is inferior, and the second retaliates with reasons why it is far better than the first. I realize this is not the case for all people, and I’m not out to condemn those who attend any of these services. But I do see this separation often, and when I see it, it astounds me. Why limit God to one form of worship? Why is God only present at my church and not yours?
Romans 14 speaks about being united on the larger things of faith, and letting the smaller things be up for discussion.
The Apostle Paul wrote about whether or not eating meat was acceptable, and we argue about whether or not instruments are appropriate for worship, but our struggles are essentially the same. Each of us wants to serve God in the best way we know how. However, I do not think God is as concerned about logistics as we make Him out to be.
Matthew 12:7 explains that Jesus desires mercy, not sacrifice. We must extend our view of Him and exactly what He wants from us.
As Pepperdine students, we are incredibly fortunate. We have the opportunity to see God each day — if our eyes are open, we are viewing His glory and beauty. He is present in the rocks crushed into soft, beautiful sand that lines our beaches; look for Him in the endlessness of the ocean, a gentle reminder of His greatness. We are blessed to be able to view the millions of stars that shine upon our campus — these lights slowly fade as the highway bends into Los Angeles.
Finally, He is present in each person who walks our campus. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” It’s true — perhaps God is never more present than in another human being. Present not only in the laugh-so-hard-your-stomach-hurts times, God is also there for the serious matters. He was there the night you cried all your tears on your roommate’s shoulder, there when your dad got sick, and when you were so overwhelmed you thought you would explode.
God’s might and power is more than we can ever imagine, but God is also a gentleman. He will never force you to love Him or even to recognize Him, really. Yet, whether you choose to recognize God or not, each gentle wind is a whisper in your ear, “I love you.” Each afternoon, God arranges the clouds to spell out how beautiful He thinks you are. In every person you meet, you are given another glimpse into God’s incredible creativity and brilliance.
The truth is that God cannot be wholly defined. He is infinite mystery. He is love. Jesus Christ walked the earth accepting all, especially those who many believed did not deserve acceptance. For a campus that boasts about our number of church services and our spiritual life programs, we seem to have forgotten what “Christian” actually means: Christ-like. In being Christ-like, we must throw off our preconceived notions from the felt board in Sunday School and realize that we can never fully know God; our lives are very process, and each thing that occurs can help us get to know Creator more deeply. So perhaps when someone sees something differently than we do, it is not always our job to defend our views and beat down theirs. Perhaps it is our job to meet someone exactly where they are and to simply listen.
8-28-2006
