Have We Benched Our Faith?
By Ian K.
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With the Spiritual Emphasis Event in the rear-view mirror, we may feel the urge to look out to the horizon and forget what we experienced at SEE as well as the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds us here at NSA. What we neglect to realize is that this atmosphere is not encompassed by a few events during the year; rather, its presence is prevalent throughout all aspects of the school. SEE was an amazing experience for those who participated, but we cannot forget the multitude of other mediums through which our spiritual lives are filled at NSA. Moving forward after SEE, we need to ask ourselves how we could better pursue a closer walk with Christ in the atmosphere that we are a part of.
I get it. We go to a Christian school, and we read the biblical worldview interwoven into class material. However, do not be misguided into thinking that this completes our walk as followers of Christ. Mere passive observation bears no more witness to our faith than a lack of faith does. What is the quality of a faith that does not pursue what it has faith in? A “pursuit of faith,” as well as faith itself, is proactive and living; it requires the seeking of opportunities within our spheres. Opportunities like attending SEE or chapel can be an exciting way to kickstart the pursuit of an active, living faith.
SEE contributed greatly to the spiritual lives of over 100 students. Looking back on the event, Olivia, the Stuco Spiritual Life Leader, said, “I was happy to hear how many people were touched by the topic and how relevant it was to their lives.” She went on to say, “I can remember a particular moment from my Thursday breakout room group when we were all talking about how God had delivered us from storms in our lives and I sat back and was like ‘wow.’” SEE represents the unique opportunity that NSA provides to learn and grow among peers—an essential aspect of an active faith. Esther, the Stuco 9th Grade Rep, said, “Seeing so many people from all over the world just come together at all ages and worship God is always so amazing… It was also encouraging to see lots of very different people at all different points in their relationship with God just be able to support each other.” NSA’s events are open to everyone, and SEE was no exception, being represented across the board with varying ages, grades, and stages of faith. These positive experiences point to an exciting expectation for our upcoming SEE in the spring—one of many ways to connect in the future.
Until then, there’s no reason to stop our pursuit of living out an active faith—there is a lively community of students that communicate regularly about spiritually related topics right in Teams. The hub of this community is centered around the “Spiritual Life” Team in Microsoft Teams, which features upcoming events, links to chapel, community groups, discipleship groups, and Bible studies. One of the best things about NSA is that there’s something for everyone; there are countless ways to get plugged into everything that goes on around the student body, especially when it comes to spiritual life and pursuing Christ with peers.
Faith is a walk, not sitting on a bench watching the world go by. Hearing about faith cannot sustain our walk with Christ, and we can’t assume it does. As students of NSA, we are more blessed than we know to have so many opportunities right at our fingertips. As a takeaway from SEE, I hope that we understand how central the relationship with Christ should be in our daily life. We should seek a community that empowers and encourages us to pursue our Lord with diligence. Here at NSA, we have groups and communities established through students taking themselves off the bench to pursue their active, living faith.
Columns: 🎉NSA Events ✝️Spiritual Life
Ian K. lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, but previously lived overseas as a missionary in Kenya and Uganda for eight years. He has attended NSA for four years and is currently in his senior year of high school. Ian has a passion for aviation and ministry, having grown up with this environment most of his life. He desires to pursue missionary aviation overseas, using the newspaper as a training field in preparation for reaching people during his future ministry.