I'm not usually on campus on Fridays, but one of the ladies in my core is having some serious roommate troubles and we met an official this morning who will help us. I finished with my appointment and did a couple of errands on campus, prayed in Marsh Chapel, and then sat down in the food court of the GSU.
Two women sat down to share my table. We didn't acknowledge each other and they started talking. It is Parents Weekend this weekend and there are many older folks on campus. One of the ladies was noticing this and then said, "I wonder if she's a mom?". I thought she was referring to me so I turned to her and said, "Are you referring to me?"
She said, "No," and I said, "I'm not a mom."
"What are you?" she asked.
I said, "I'm a chaplain."
"A what!?" and I proceeded to share with her about my position on campus. I introduced myself and then they went back to their own conversation.
I was listening with one ear, and they ended up talking about economic classes in the U.S. At that point she turns to me and asks, "Don't you think all the people in the south are poor?"
This started a two hour conversation with A. and M., both seniors and good friends. M. is from Chicago and has a Jewish background, and A. is from San Francisco with no religious experience at all, although she is Jewish. Our conversation was a normal, stream-of-consciousness conversation that flowed through socio-economic classes in the U.S., to politics, to Israel and the Jews, to baby boomers, their parents and how they were brought up.
Somehow we got on the topic of how I was paid, and I mentioned that they might not understand this but I lived by faith. They were fascinated! They had never met anyone who lived that way, totally depending on donations from individuals and churches who believed in what we did. A., especially, was so impressed. She asked me, "Can I ask you a question?" and I said, "A. you can ask me what ever question you want." (They were impressed with that.)
She asked what I did when I didn't have any money. I shared that God provided two ways. One through a partnership with him. I pray and tell him my need and then I go out and look for resources. The other half of the time God provides supernaturally - a check comes in the mail, someone hands us cash, or a large gift shows up in our account. I was able to share part of my testimony, that I had been a Christian for 35 years and I have seen God's faithfulness throughout my life.
M. started asking a lot of questions at this point, and she ended up talking about her Jewish background, her doubts based on some of things that happen in life, and her belief in a God. She can't imagine not believing in God. She said, "If there isn't a God what the f***** are we doing here?" I agreed, (of course my language wasn't quite as colorful as hers.). A. couldn't understand why God was so important. M. shared that knowing that God existed brought meaning to life especially in hard times. A. said that she had been through hard times and never once thought about God during that time. I asked if she ever thought about God at any time. She said no. "I never think of God."
They ended up inviting me to a fund raiser that they are sponsoring to raise awareness of breast cancer and I told them I would come. We had a very comfortable, natural conversation about life and God. I loved being able to share with them a whole new way of looking at God and shattering some of their stereotypes of Christians. I know that God opened a big door with them and that I will meet them again on campus to talk more.
These are the kind of conversations that make me love my job.
