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| Isaac Feinn Class of 2019 |
It’s the beginning of your first semester. Welcome Week is the sole absorber of your time, and the biggest of your worries is which club information stand has the best candy assortment. (Hopefully you chose right and went for the stand with the white chocolate Hershey’s Kisses). Beyond the sugar lure, the draw to the hospitable informational booths is typically to gather information about which fraternity or sorority to rush.
I followed my nose to the candy, but landed in a sign-up line to receive emails about Rush details. I loved the idea of having a group of guys to not only bond with for four years, but to also focus efforts with throughout the semester towards community service. The statistics of success among those involved in a fraternity or sorority was appealing, and I wanted to be a part of that community. Flash forward a couple weeks; Rush arrived, and so did my complete desire to join. I had great conversations with nearly every fraternity I visited, and the guys were the type I could envision being my brothers.
That same week, I also attended a Christian campus ministry event. I had nearly the same experience; the people I met were welcoming, confident, and hospitable. And that’s when I realized something mid-Rush: why rush a fraternity, when I could rush a church? It’s nearly the same process, if you think about it. You attend different churches looking for what you desire. That might be a strong community of people you like, a good foundation and morals, opportunities to serve in and outside your community, and overall which one makes you feel accepted. Some teach different things. Sometimes, they can even meet in a house. Better yet, you’re still looking to join a brother or sisterhood, as you’re all brothers and sisters in Christ, right?
Greek life, and, well, Greek Life (considering Christianity began in the same location and era as the historical Greeks) have many of the same elements. To receive a bid to become a member, typically the pastor will conduct an interview. And, once you’re an active, you may choose to even be “initiated” with Baptism. There are weekly meetings, typically on Sundays, for which you dress up. Every weekend, you might drink (of the blood of Jesus) and dance (to worship music). You’re joining a group to bond with for four years in a fraternity, but in a church, through the salvation of Jesus Christ, you’re joining a group to commune with for an eternity (did that just rhyme?). Also, according to Hirschi’s Causes of Delinquency, the four elements of social bonds that help foster less delinquent behavior are attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief. When you join a church, you graciously experience all of these social bonds. Don’t you want encouragement to do less delinquent things? I can get behind that.
You could even do both; there more organizations to rush than simply a fraternity or sorority. I encourage you to try rushing your local churches; see what ones you like and don’t like. Hey, if you rush Baptist, you might even get free food. Make sure to bring some white chocolate Hershey’s Kisses though, I’m sure they don’t have those.
Isaac Feinn is a freshman McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He studies biology and political science.