A few raisins short of a fruitcake?
Galatians 5 gives the names of some quali ties we should develop during our Christian life. These are the well-known “fruits of the Spirit” and are described in verses 22–23. But how are these “fruits” relevant to everyday student life? Here are some thoughts on the subject.
First, and most important, is Love. This is an essential quality for students. I don’t mean the ‘lurve’ that occurs when ‘boy meets girl,’ but real, unselfish, caring love. The sort of thing you need when you realise that your housemates are having a party, there’ll be noise until 3 am, the kitchen’s in a mess — oh, and you have an essay due in tomorrow morning. Such a scenario is the perfect opportunity to display a little Christian love.
Then there’s Joy. This could possibly be defined as the feeling you get when you realise that your noisy housemate has gone home for the weekend, your essay is complete and the kitchen spotless (and there’s a large pink pig flying past the window).
Next is Peace. A rare quality on campus, for whenever the student population finally go quiet, there’s still the local wildlife (geese and ducks, not students) to ensure that you wake up in time for that 9.15 lecture.
Patience: another useful quality for students. A particularly good way to learn patience, I find, is to take advantage of the university’s superb technological equipment. Try to check your emails in Langwith computer room, or cook a meal on a wonderful Baby Belling cooker. Waiting for a faulty light bulb to be replaced can also help in the development of patience.
Kindness and Goodness go together in the same way as students and dirty kitchens. Good opportunities for showing both can be found in most student accommodation — doing your housemate’s washing up or fetching their spare key when they have locked themselves out of their room while having a shower can show your friends how good and kind you are (a slight snigger while their back is turned is allowed).
Faithfulness is not the easiest of qualities to show. Going to every lecture, reading every book on the reading list and handing in every essay on time might just qualify as faithfulness. Gentleness, too, is not easy to display. It is, however, a quality that comes in useful when faced with angry black swans, anxious to protect their sweet (yeah, right) cygnet.
Last but not least is Self-control. To relate this to the previous example, self-control needs to be exercised to prevent oneself screaming out when the aforesaid swan begins hurtling towards you at approximately 30mph…
Well, there are some ways that the fruits of the Spirit can be exercised while at university. Enjoy your fruit, and mind the pips!