A School Where You Can Find Peace

Z’undra Nyree Gilbert

(edited by B.J. Mondesir)

Many people come to college looking for different things. Some come seeking to find themselves, their life partner or educated friends while others come to ensure comfortable living for their future. Me, personally, I came to college looking to plunge deeper into my spirituality. Southwestern Adventist University has allowed me to grow not only spiritually, but mentally and emotionally as well.

The first step to growing spiritually is to start removing chaos from our lives, granting us a peaceful state of mind. The Bible says, “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace…” (Romans 14:19). Southwestern harbors an environment that promotes serenity and gives a sound peace of mind. When I am feeling depressed, stressed or upset and I decide to sit outside alone, all I can hear is silence. Silence is exactly what I thought I needed so that I could plan how I would deal with my problems or how I would seek revenge on my enemies. Somehow, instead of sitting and basking in the ambiance of evil thoughts, the silence spoke louder than gunshots on a battlefield. The way the squirrels chased each other and the way the birds sang every morning at the slight crack of dawn all showed the existence of God. I could not help but think to myself, “There is a God bigger than these problems that I am facing. How selfish could I be?” Therefore, I have learned to praise God in every situation regardless of the outcome. The pure nature of SWAU’s campus has taught me that God can be found in every situation.

Southwestern is home to some really genuine and devoted people. It’s not an anomaly to see people holding hands while they pray on the sidewalks on their way to class. It also is not strange for teachers to have a devotional before each morning class and a word of prayer before every afternoon class. Students enjoy participating or directing small groups, singing in choirs and praise teams, and just having simple Bible study. Southwestern is not only diverse in its wide spread of ethnicities and races. It is also diverse in the activities that are available for students to engage and take part in. There is something for every single person to do that will help him or her on their Christian journey. Everything that happens on this campus glorifies God and his mighty works.

Going to college is a decision that most high school students make in order to get an education to make a decent living in today’s world. Students at Southwestern are receiving more than that. Not only are we here to learn to be powerful forces in the work field, but we are also here to work on ourselves to, ultimately, gain salvation. Any college can teach you how to do the Pythagorean Theorem, how to write a research paper, or how to deliver a prolific dissertation. But how many are actually pushing their students towards gaining eternal salvation?

Share this: