Spicy Faith

by Annie Crawford, Lewis-Clark State College CSM

Could Spirituality be Spicy?

At the Welcome Fair, students walked up to the table and saw an array of spicy foods: Flamin' hot cheetos, little hot sauce packets, atomic fire balls. Some were shocked, some excited. As they walked up we asked "Do you like spicy food?". Often, they responded with an enthusiastic "Yes!" or an emphatic "No!", with few in between. Whether or not they enjoyed spicy snacks, I would say "We're InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and we believe your spiritual life could be spicy". Following this, they might laugh and start talking about their own spiritual lives, but others responded differently.

One conversation with a student went like this:

Me: Do you think spirituality could be spicy?
Student: Hmm... I've never thought of spirituality like that.
[by this point he's looking like he's trying not to offend me]
Me: Why not? How do you think of it?
Student: I always kind of thought of it as...boring.

I think this is a pretty common idea of faith, bible studies, and our spiritual lives as a whole. Sometimes when we try to imagine particularly spiritual people it might evoke a vision of someone studious, engulfed in hours of silence, who's too busy being "spiritual" to laugh or play. I think this is the picture most students have when they get invited to a small group. Little do they know, choosing a spiritual life with Jesus can be so spicy (so enthralling and full) that even quiet contemplation can be life changing. I told this student and others that choosing to follow Jesus has been the spiciest thing I've ever done, and that my spirituality is full of flavor and life!

When I say spicy I mean full of life, excitement, joy and depth. The kind of faith that moves you to do bold things, meet new people, and go to new places. Spiritually spicy people laugh, play, question, throw parties, and have quiet times. All together, they live a life that is full. This year, I hope students say yes to the spicy spirituality that God has offered them. 

Mark Camp 2019 (from the other side)

Every Spring Break for the past five years I've spent 5 days (7.5 hours each day) with college students studying scripture. When I tell people of this practice, their eyes get wide and they something like "That's intense!" And, I quickly rush to explain that it's not that intense and students enjoy the experience. While that's true-- it's not complete. There is an intensity to the experience of that much scripture because that much time in scripture changes us.

I wish I had words to explain what it is like to lead students through that process of transformation. It's not formulaic. It's deeply personal and yet, as the years go by, I've noticed some of the signs that transformation. Students start to ask big questions that connect scripture and their lives. They start to tell stories about their lives and ask if Jesus might have something else for them. Some even begin to acknowledge their needs for healing or forgiveness. One or two students might even decide to follow Jesus for the first time as adults.

Spring Break 2019 I spent time with students in the book of Esther. We decided to offer a manuscript study for students who had finished the book of Mark, something that would deepen their understanding of God at work in the world. In Esther, the name of God isn't mentioned prompting the question, "Where is God?" When the people of God are threatened with genocide, where is God? Why doesn't God just appear in power and set all things right? And yet, the text is about people figuring out how to be faithful. People fasting and praying, seeking answers. People asking for change but being sure if it will come. We wondered as a group, how different is this scenario from the world today? We consistently need to ask where is God, to fast, pray and act. One group summarized that central message of the book as "God uses evil people and broken systems for good."

My prayer is that this study of Esther prepares students for living in the world as agents of transformation for the kingdom of God. May they not be discouraged when God doesn't work on their timetables in the midst of their strategies. May they seek God in all things and be looking for the ways God may have placed them in their communities, churches, and workplaces for 'such a time as this.'

I'm grateful that I get to witness this transformation. I'm grateful for your support of this transformation.

I've attached a couple of the summary photos-- when we looked for the central point (middle of the chiasm) in the book of Esther. These 'armchair theologians' are coming soon to churches near you :)