Does it Really Matter?

In the middle of a global pandemic that has significantly affected all our lives, I got my answer.

I must admit that I didn’t think much about a student whom I’ll refer to as “Alice” when I first had her in class in the fall of 2019. She was an excellent student, but she didn’t participate in class discussions, so I assumed she would be like 90% of the students I have in class – someone I would have once, then never hear from again.

But when she asked me to write her a letter of recommendation, I agreed, though I asked her to meet with me so that I could get to know her better. Besides telling me about her goals and future plans, she shared that she comes from an Islamic family, though for various reasons, she did not consider herself to be a practicing Muslim.

Before leaving, she noticed a Bible verse on a plaque in my office. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11). I honestly don’t remember what she said about it or how I responded. I do remember thinking that it was interesting that she commented at all, considering her spiritual background.

A week later, I received an email from her, which read, in part:

I would love to hear about what Jesus has done for you in your life. I have been wanting to start exploring Christianity more, and I feel as though learning about what it has done for others is a great way to do this!

Mind blown.

I had many thoughts when I read this—everything from fears about my job if this became known, to feeling completely inadequate in my ability to convey the gospel to someone who knew next to nothing about our faith. But I knew that God had placed her in my class for a reason and that I had to respond to her message.

We arranged a time to meet, and I shared the plan of salvation and gave her a Bible. While she hasn’t become a believer yet, we have continued to meet regularly, and my prayer is that one day soon, I will not only call Alice a student, but a sister in Christ.  

So, a simple plaque of my favorite verse, meant to be a reminder for my own life, turned out to be the starting point of multiple Christ-centered conversations. My experience with Alice has reminded me that despite the entitled students, the secular administrators, and the hard-to-get-along-with colleagues that we all deal with, what we do as professors does matter.

Many students are searching for someone who will listen to them and show them the love of Christ. Maybe that someone is a friend. Perhaps it’s a roommate. Or maybe that someone is me – or you.