A Campus Hungry for Truth
By Hannah Lewandowski
Our God is always at work. Do you believe that? For me, most of my days are spent working behind the blue light of my laptop, creating content and planning events for the Resonate Collective. Although I work for a church and testify to His goodness as I write each day, it can be easy to miss what God is doing, specifically in the spaces I’m not in. For those of you reading who don’t do boots on the ground ministry on college campuses day in and day out, you, too, may know Luke 10:12 to be true; you may loosely believe God is at work, but you don’t know what that tangibly looks like. You’re not alone in that. A few months ago, I wanted to see what God was doing myself, and so by the grace of God and a flexible work day, I ventured onto the campus of Washington State University, hopeful to gain an understanding of what was truly going on beyond my reach.
I arrived on campus around 10 am on Thursday, April 17th. With Good Friday and Easter Sunday just around the corner, I joined the campus staff team as they tabled on campus, passing out flyers inviting those passing by to our gathering that Sunday. The sun was out, the breeze was light, and there was a buzz in the air.
That same day, I went on campus to see what God was doing amidst the harvest fields of WSU. An infamous political social media influencer and club founder, Charlie Kirk, happened to be holding an event a few hundred feet away from the Resonate booth. Looking around, a crowd was slowly beginning to draw in, consisting of parents with their children, men and women in cowboy boots, college students, people with looks of distaste written across their faces, various religious groups, and a multitude of cameras. Some people trickling into the crowd appeared to be excited for the speaker to arrive, while others drew in to counter-protest, looking upset by what was to come. Taking it all in, I remember saying under my breath, “God, this campus is yours”, knowing deep down, just because He is sovereign over this campus doesn’t mean He’s a God of quick fixes, rather a God of transformation, a God of sanctification.
“Taking it all in, I remember saying under my breath, “God, this campus is yours”, knowing deep down, just because He is sovereign over this campus doesn’t mean He’s a God of quick fixes, rather a God of transformation, a God of sanctification.”
Charlie Kirk and his team entered on time and were met with cheering faces around his booth and mildly upset voices shouting from the outskirts. I looked from left to right and back again, unsure of what to think or feel. The environment was far from hostile, but there was something different in the air than the average Thursday afternoon on campus. Kirk proceeded to engage the crowd, inviting them to ask questions and engage in civil conversation. As policies on immigration, education, taxes, and much more were discussed, it became obvious that every single person in the crowd was hungry for truth, longing for answers, and desiring completeness. These people are seeking answers, hope, and truth in a broken world from broken individuals. No wonder there is unrest, no wonder there is confusion. How often do we look to fulfill a need or a desire in the wrong place? And, as I stood there taking it all in, I thought to myself, “Who can even blame them?” If we’re not willing to boldly proclaim truth and steadfastly abide by it, then who will?
“There’s a sea of people in your city longing to know Jesus as their supreme treasure. And if He’s ours, truly, how could we not go? How could we not share the gospel with them? To you, I ask, is Jesus your supreme treasure? If He is, all you do must flow from that reality.”
There’s a sea of people in your city longing to know Jesus as their supreme treasure. And if He’s ours, truly, how could we not go? How could we not share the gospel with them? To you, I ask, is Jesus your supreme treasure? If He is, all you do must flow from that reality. If Jesus is who He says He is, He is faithful to overcome burnout, He informs what it means to sacrifice, there is no excuse, is there? God is actively opening and softening people’s hearts to receive truth, believer. How will we respond? The social freeze following the isolation of COVID is thawing, the harvest is most definitely plentiful, but the laborers don’t have to be few. Go, dear friend, live sent, share the only Truth that can set the captives free, that sets you free. Don’t keep the God who redeems and restores all things to yourself. Let Him overcome your fears, insecurities, and uncertainties, and boldly share Him with all those who will listen. You can do it, by His strength alone, trust me, you won’t regret it.
The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers don’t have to be few.
