Written by Monique Jacques
I don’t believe it is a coincidence that Harding University, a school mostly composed of privileged 20-somethings with passionfor life and vigor for the message and person of Jesus Christ, has been placed at the center of a wonderful community, but one that does not lack major struggles and needs, including a widespread drug problem.
Even the people of White County who have no connection to Harding know that it is a university based on Christian principles; they must, considering chapel on TV16, the surge of people for our annual Bible lectureship and the signs reading “Faith, Learning, Living” on Race Street and Beebe Capps.
Four years ago, Bisons for Christ was formed as a result of the Student Association’s seeking an avenue to actively display the love of Jesus to that very community, but today I believe the message has been muddied.
I do not want to discredit a specific day dedicated to the Lord. I am supportive of this, especially because Israel had days each year devoted to certain activities or meanings for the glory of the Lord. I am, however, hesitant to call an entire day “devoted” when it is merely three hours at the end of an otherwise ordinary day. To me, this seems more like an item on a to-do list that we are rushing to mark off.
Bisons for Christ strives to be the manifestation of what we learn daily in our Bible classes, and in a way, it is. But for some reason, in my eyes, it doesn’t add up. Are we not called to bring the first fruits? If we are setting this day up as an offering, should it not be the whole tithe? It sends a mixed message: “Yes, we are devoted to service and want to prove it to the world by planning, for months in advance, a consecrated day to serving the needy of the community, but it is only going to last for about three hours, and then we are going to get together to feed and honor all ofthe servers for their hard work.”
I participated in a few of the planningcommittee meetings this year, and when I asked why the day of service was not a full day, I was told it was because it would get in the way of academics. We sit and learn every day, but if we are not able to place more value on the application of the lessons learned, especially concerning love in action, than the lessons themselves, perhaps we should readjust our focus.
I propose that instead of having a few hours a year dubbed as our special outreach time, we promote service as an ongoing and integrated part of everyday life. That is the original foundation of Bisons for Christ, and it is a great one, but I believe the walls are cracked and the roof is leaky. Instead ofwalls made of straw (three hours of outreach) we could use bricks — a weekly, biweekly or monthly project.
If a committee compiled a list of ongoing projects available at the beginning of the school year, groups could form in the same way as Bisons for Christ and students could sign up for a project that would be their responsibility throughout the year. This would allow us to share more than just one day of service. Group members could form ongoing relationships that make way for opportunities to share the intricacies of a personal faith.
Spring break missions provide students the means to reach people by giving them something they need, which often leads to filling spiritual needs. Imagine if our community’s needs became a student’s four-year mission.
With a setup like this, it would make sense for the spring semester to culminate in a campuswide day of service involving all students in their regular group outreach. At the end of a full day, perhaps a Saturday or Sunday so as to not interfere with academics, those who have been touched through this new Bisons for Christ yearlong program would be invited to receive a meal and participate in a devotional focused on Christ’s life of servitude.
So, you want to send a message of love with the names Jesus and Harding University stamped across it? Then go ahead, be over the top and make them take notice, but be sure it doesn’t seem like an afterthought. Let us take advantage of the rich blessings we are surrounded by people of like mind and spirit, to better the world around us.
MONIQUE JACQUES is a guest contributor for the Bison. She may be contacted atmjacques@harding.edu
