Making Excuses

There's one big drawback to starting a new campus ministry position in the summertime: college campuses are pretty quiet, especially in mid-July. While I'm thankful for some space to read, think, write, plan, and pray, I'm also a little lonely. There's no buzz, no activity in the Wesley House or on campus, so it's easy to spend all day in my air conditioned office.

I think when I started my first campus ministry position four years ago, I did just that. But new beginnings are for learning from your mistakes, so this time around I'm making excuses for getting on campus.

The other day I had a simple question to ask someone on campus that I could have emailed or called about. However, I had already decided to eat lunch on campus (another excuse to get out), so I decided to drop in and ask the question in person. I was there for maybe five minutes, but in those five minutes I accomplished something very important - I nurtured a relationship.

Emails are great, text messages are quick, phone calls are convenient, but a face to face interaction builds community exponentially more than any of those. In those five minutes, I asked my question, but I also learned a little more about the person. My presence communicated that I do not view this person simply as a source of information, but as a valued child of God. Technology helps us be productive and efficient, but too often at the expense of relationships. People are no longer people, but contacts in our address book who we call or text for information.

So, this summer I'm making excuses for myself...to get out of the office. But more importantly, to build and nurture relationships with the people across campus who I'll be in ministry with this fall.