I’m as capable as any to fall into the evil vortex of Netflix. It only takes a measly 15 seconds for one to choose between a fifth episode of “Parks and Rec,” or the arduous task of homework and other unfortunate responsibilities.
After factoring in the amount of hours a day I spend on academia, tweeting my passive aggressive feelings away, Facebook stalking people and other vacant distractions, there isn’t much time left except for a solid 5 ½ hours of sleep before starting the whole cycle again tomorrow.
In short, I waste my time.
It’s cliche to wonder about one’s purpose in life, but when I step back from the Youtube videos of snuggling kittens, the stacks of books, the numbered assignments and the blaring screens that hold my attention for the better part of the day, I can’t imagine that I’m living up to it.
College, thankfully, is not high school. Our classmates don’t know the embarrassing nicknames we’ve had and they don’t know the mistakes we’ve made. Instead, we are presented with a beautifully clean slate and an opportunity to rebrand ourselves. So why do we spend our time doing things that don’t matter? Why aren’t we fearless? Conformity may be simple, natural and expected, but it doesn’t warrant any results.
A community cannot exist without members. Therefore, a Christian school cannot be considered Christian without, well, Christians. But where are we? The outside world often views Christians synonymously with haters. We’re stereotyped as being judgmental, hypocritical, boring and enraged in a full-fledged attack against homosexuals. And, for that reason, Christianity is not a title we tend to broadcast. While being afraid of coming across as offensive, we identify with the side of cowardice, making others wonder if we have any faith at all.
The fact that important things are not being discussed isn’t necessarily a sign of irrelevance, but rather an indication of inherent necessity.
So rather than neglecting uncomfortable and controversial questions, I should be seeking the right answers. I should be praying for the right opportunities. And although it seems like the simpler alternative, I should stop hiding behind touch screens and noise-cancelling headphones.
If we really wanted to make a change, we couldn’t be in a better place. We attend one of the most beautiful schools in the world, have incredible professors and the blessing of youth. We have resources up to our ears — we just need to learn how to utilize them.
Perhaps college is less about having the best time of our lives and more about using this time to make a difference on campus and in our futures. While we are embedded in a society concerned with the amount of followers people have, let us instead be more concerned with who we are following.
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As published in the Jan. 16 issue of the Pepperdine Graphic.
