College students love to learn, right? This could be true, until you try to teach them something. IU’s Greek Community is described as ‘Uber- Greek’ meaning identities, loyalties and lifestyles are deeply tied to those letters on your Little Five shirt. IU Greek students live in their houses for at least three years, and if they choose to live out of the house its usually with pledge brothers or sisters to continue to the experience. They are always surrounded by other Greeks. They proudly display their letters, houses and stereotypes. IU Greek students have little awareness or regard for people unlike themselves; not because they don’t like other people, but because their world is so much fun it would be hard to imagine life apart from Greek Life. How can we possibly relate?

InterVarsity’s commitments and values are a little bigger and broader than living it up with people you love most who are just like you. It can be difficult to ever open a student’s eyes to the benefit of stepping outside the comfrat zone. I know this well because I was a student who couldn’t see beyond the end of my trendy ballet slippers a few years ago. My staff worker offered me opportunity after opportunity to step out and engage, learn even read about something other than my world. I wasn’t really interested.

This year at camp there were only a few options for Tracks. The Leadership Track, the Large Group Track, Small Group Leader Track and ReDefine Reality. ReDefine Reality dealt with some of these very issues- life outside the Greek Community. Two of our students were hoping for other tracks that week, but due to some administrative reorganizing were given the chance to ReDefine their Realities. The students were not only introduced to issues of gender, race, ethnicity, socio-economic status and what God has to do with them- but they had to process, discuss and actively participate in simulations with non Greek students!

A few reflections from our frat guys:
These two guys were majorly transformed by Jesus at Camp this year. They have spent 3 or 4 years casually making fun of the GDIs (non Greeks) on campus, laughing about white culture and privilege over others without understanding it, and only wanting to be with people like themselves.

“God is helping me not to be ashamed of the privileges in life, but to use them in order to glorify Him. I need to redefine my heart and attitude toward God, people and His creations.”

“God showed me how other cultures reflect different aspects of His character. He is calling me to engage with brokenness, choosing diversity, and stewarding my money. I need to organize and commit to giving with my first paycheck.”

Pray these revelations will stick with them and that they allow Christ to continue shaping their hearts for the whole world, not just the frat guys.

The Greek IV story was shared by Erin Ravensberg Author Website: http://iugreekiv.blogspot.com Author Email: Contact Author Author Bio: Erin is a campus staff worker with Greek InterVarsity at Indiana University. More Stories by Erin Ravensberg

This post is tagged Fraternity, lives transformed, Privilige