Our world seems to change faster and faster as the days go on. I am shocked at how quickly trends come and go, how fast ideology shifts, and how transient our generation has become. This can be a really good thing, and as campus ministers we have to know our audience. It causes us to stay sharp, do our research, and be able to stay relevant as far as the issues and circumstances our students face.
There is a lot of discussion about relevancy and how much we should cater to the constantly shifting wants and desires of this generation. For these students nothing is sure and nothing is secure. Now more than ever, students are jaded. We live in what is called the Post-Modern Era, a time that by it’s own definition is in a state of perpetual incompleteness and permanent unresolve. Students have been taught to question everything and they do. If you have been on a campus for any amount of time it saturates the environment; question religion, question authority, question motives. If we aren’t careful we can start feeling hopeless and wonder if we can ever make an impact with all the skepticism.
But take heart friends! The way to reach this generation is through authenticity plain and simple. We can make ourselves crazy trying to catch up to the changing tides of culture, or we can rest assured that Jesus is enough to save. I have found that in this ever changing time, students long for some stability and authenticity.
What exactly do I mean? Students can smell fake from miles away. Instead of trying to be someone you are not for the sake of fitting a trend, be the person Jesus made you to be. Let your love be genuine (Romans 12:9). As you love Jesus and engage students, they will respond. Trust is built as we continue to show up, continue to love the Lord, continue to work hard beside them and for them. Students are watching you. They are watching how you talk, how you deal with stress and failure, and how you lead them. I believe there once was a time where leaders felt the pressure to be perfect, or at least to look the perfect part. Students today don’t want perfect, they want real. Are you willing to admit your mistakes? Are you willing to be honest with them about your life? Are you willing to talk to them about the hard stuff? This kind of leadership is arguably harder, messier, and calls us to be more vulnerable. All of which seems like a small price to pay for the possibility of reaching this generation.
Ultimately, students will find comfort in the stability of Jesus, the undeniable truth of His word, and the unshakeable knowledge of His love. Personally, that is what happened for me. I felt that in life, everything and everyone was going to leave me or let me down, but when I met Jesus, I recognized that truth that He would never leave me and he never has. His love is sure and His affection for me is unchangeable. We need to be the reflection of that kind of love for our students. We aren’t perfect, but that’s not really what they wanted anyway.