“The man who lives in a small community lives in a much larger world…The reason is obvious. In a large community, we can choose our companions. In a small community our companions are chosen for us.”    – G.K. Chesterton, Heretics

Each year a new student body arrives on the RBC campus. Many are nervous about how they will fit into the newly formed community. There are several early challenges to this formation. The first is that many new students don’t bring the credibility of their home community with them, they must build their network of friendships from scratch. As adaptable as 18-year-olds are, this is a daunting challenge. The second challenge is that the RBC community is small. While there may be a few relational rays of hope poking through those nerve-wracking first days, not everyone finds an instant connection with a friend. Anxiety and homesickness are often the order of the day. The relational options are limited at a place like RBC. 

If there is an idea more un-American than “limited options,” I would be open to hearing that argument! But un-American and spiritually destructive are often two different things. In fact, it is precisely those limited options that facilitate deep growth in our students. 

This will be my 7th year of watching God move in the lives of students, maturing and transforming them. Each year the New Testament instructions to the church about how God’s people engage each other find a new reality in the RBC community. Students learn to “bear with” one another (Eph. 4:2), “pray for” one another (James 5:16), and show hospitality to each other (I Peter 4:9). 

As decisions are made to love those present rather than wish for different companions, the Holy Spirit’s presence becomes evident and the beauty of Christ glows. Interestingly, it might just be that their “limited options” leave our students feeling seen, loved, known…and befriended.