Respectful disagreement

It's been almost an entire first semester in college, and I've learned a few things paying attention in oversized lecture halls. Yet greater in value are the many life lessons I've learned adapting to this new environment, and from living in a sprawling community of diverse students. For me college is a door into an outside world of differing beliefs and backgrounds. By seeking to understand the similarities and differences we have, we can become stronger mentally and spiritually.

Recently I had brunch with a few Muslim friends, two of whom I had known previously, and one I had just met. One was of Egyptian descent, one Lebanese, and the other Palestinian; they spoke English well, but were also fluent in Arabic. The three were enthusiastic students, and our conversation that day made interesting turns. We discussed politics and international relations, culture and language, and of course, religion — all this over the breakfast table. Another Christian who was there, also born and raised in North Carolina, found the diversity equally fascinating, and we thought about how God had pulled all of us together from the tiniest places on the globe to discuss world politics and to share our similarities and differences of culture.

In college this is not so rare an occurrence. Everywhere I turn, I meet new people of varying race, ethnicity, and culture. Learning from them is always a unique experience. Often we find friends in unsuspecting places. The five of us talked for what seemed like a couple hours, and through a polite discourse, three Muslims and two Christians all received valuable insight into the others' worlds.

Though our exchange was peaceful, I've found that in college, one must be prepared for opposition, if and when it occurs. Preachers in the Brickyard are not always considerate of the views of their passersby. One afternoon, a crowd gathered and tension mounted until it seemed like a riot would break out, with Christians turning against Christians rather than unifying in shared beliefs. (Admittedly, that particular man should have had his preaching license revoked immediately.) Outspoken atheists and agnostics often gather in such a setting, spitting out counterarguments and using the crowd in an attempt to escalate matters into a hateful protest. As an observer it becomes difficult to sift through flurries of ideas, facts, and opinions, good sermons and bad ones, and find solid footing in the Bible. Yet opposition is not always a bad thing, as it can bring us closer to Christ. I've learned to look for the solid footing, to expand my knowledge of Christianity, and to be prepared for the conflict we will inevitably face in this world.

Three of the friends I talked to over brunch that day had never known Jesus as their savior, and understandably found difficulties with some of the fundamental beliefs of Christianity, like the Trinity. But we found more similarities in opinion, belief, and values, than we did differences. Curiosity getting the better of us, we posed difficult yet careful questions to one another, answering those we could, and thinking hard about those we couldn't. Somehow, I learned just as much after our conversation as I headed to my room to study for final exams. A few questions that I hadn't been able to answer lingered in my thoughts; I needed to be a better messenger of the Word, a better disciple of Christ. So, I sat in my room, grabbed my laptop and my Bible, studied, and prayed.

Stephen Hall is in his first year as a HELM Leadership Fellow and is a member of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Goldsboro, North Carolina.