Ten Ways of “Keeping the Faith” in College

Living Faithfully at BSC

No student has to wait until they are graduated to begin practicing their faith. It can begin in the everyday activities in which one is involved. The following are ten ways to practice faith that can be a part of every college student’s life.

1. Listen: If you have had the experience of not being listened to,then you know how powerful and prophetic listening can be. College campuses are populated with people who lead very busy lives, and needless to say, not listening to others is rampant. One who listens joins the spirit of the One who is always more ready to listen than we are to pray.
   
   
2. Pray: Praying is something one does. It is an active orientation to the world around us: our classes, friends, dates, family, jobs, and problems. Praying is the ongoing activity of all creation. Being in prayer means to join this and let our lives become a prayer to God. It is in prayer that we find the motivation and clarity to practice our faith. This motivation and clarity are born in stillness, not activity.
   
   
3. Watch: On every campus there are unique ways of practicing your faith. Watch for them. That opportunity may be a friend in trouble or an outing with your campus ministry group. It may be a service project or a worship service.
   
   
4. Serve: There are many opportunities on campus to become involved with a service project. Whether it is visiting the sick, visiting a nursing home, tutoring, or helping in a soup kitchen, we all have hours we can use in service. College students are leading the nation in service hours these days, and there is room for you. Be one that shows faith with your actions.
   
   
5. Think: It may sound strange to suggest that training one’s mind to think is a form of faith work, but thinking is an inner activity and an important one. Many times religion can be reactionary rather than thoughtful and we need many to join with those whose faith is seeking understanding. Be one.
   
   
6. Learn: Are you open to learning? Learning is a powerful way to exercise your faith whose power is easily discerned by its opposite – the person who knows it all. For example, each of the writers of the New Testament had to learn the story they had to tell as well as the way in which to communicate the story to their individual readers. Learn your story. Learn your campus. Openness to learning is an attitude that will draw people to you.
   
   
7. Write: We know the faithful witnesses of the world’s religions because they wrote accounts of their experiences. Letters, papers, articles for the newspaper or your local campus ministry group are all ways for you to witness to your faith.
   
   
8. Study: An ancient discipline, studying is more than theaccumulation of information. When one studies, one’s thought processes take on the order and form of that which one is studying. So when one studies holy texts, for instance, more than just the information is gained. The practice of this discipline helps the roots of our faith run deep.
   
   
9. Hope: Faithful people are characterized by their hope. To hope is more than merely wishing for good things to happen. It means to be ready at every moment for the Grace of God. One way of hoping is to form caring relationships with peers. The insecurity of our day is an overwhelming burden for us to bear; caring relationships are a powerful witness in our hope for the future of humankind.
   
   
10. Love: Love is an orientation to the world, God, and yourself. Love is the root of all religion and the means of our faith; love motivates us toward others. Love is the way.