Edith Avila
Web editor
Editor’s note: This is the last of a three-part series on the events ocurring in Syria. The first story provided an overview of Syrian history. The second story summarized what is happening in Syria. This story explains the implications Syria has to an everyday Christian and why what’s going on there should matter to us.
For years, Syrians have agreed to disagree. Today, that peaceful facade no longer exists. There is no peace when everyone thinks he or she knows the truth and each truth is different.
Why does it even matter? Syria is literally across the world.
Senior nursing student Sarah Barger said that it matters to her because it matters to the creator of this world.
“We will be held accountable in the way we love His people,” said Barger.
“We will give account on Judgement Day for how we used what we have and how we loved people, both near and far.”
Barger follows the teachings from the Lord. She referenced John 13: 34- 35, which states, “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The Bible gives a clear picture of what it means to truly love and care for others, but it seems that a limited number of college students are understanding the message. Perhaps students understand, but they choose to ignore that part of Christianity for various reasons.
Do the excuses of “being too busy” make it okay to ignore the world?
History professor Dr. Terry Morris said that students tend to focus on academics and ignore the world.
“Students come up here to take a break from the world,” said Morris. “But your education ought to be a part of the present.”
Morris said that he has watched students discuss their appeasement of not caring about the world for countless years.
“Shorter students here regarded education as a retreat from the real world,” said Morris.
Research shows that the millennial generation is increasingly becoming a narcissistic society that is apathetic toward world and political events. A recent International Center for Media and the Public Agenda study revealed that students do not follow political news much. Any political news students get is “in small doses,” according to the study. And the means through which students acquire that news is via computer. Therefore, to care for another, Christians must first learn to become selfless.
English professor Dr. Carmen Butcher said that to love means to sincerely want to know the people, specifally in this case, the Syrian people.
“We should want to know the people of Syria; I want to know the individual stories,” said Butcher.
Butcher also said that in order to know the people, one has to know the culture.
“Knowing and understanding the culture is so important. I think we treat people like subjects in school, and I don’t like that. I want to know Syrians…what kind of food do they eat, what do they like to do for fun?”
Butcher continued explaining that knowing the culture requires more than researching facts— it requires listening.
“We need to learn how to listen. Americans, in general, need to learn to listen and pray to ask the Lord how we can respond,” said Butcher.
Barger said that education is one way to love despite the distance because it shows that you care.
“Educate yourself on the wars, strife and conflict going on globally. By learning another language and the hardships of another nation, you are loving those people by identifying yourself with them,” said Barger.
Barger encourages students to love others today in the midst of our college careers.
She added, “The most treacherous thing American Christians can do in college is waste their life by hiding from the world and being comfortable, never being challenged or stretched, and remain complacent people thinking, ‘I will definitely impact the world after graduation.’ That is wasted time.”
So does Christianity make it an obligation to serve others? Barger said that love is the opposite of an obligation.
“Love is never a duty. It is certainly a delight,” said Barger.
