The middle aisle at Barnes and Noble always seems to be stocked with books I have never heard of before. New York Times best sellers and Oprah’s Book Club books lined four tables at the Bismarck location tonight, all under the category of “noteworthy fiction.” I looked for a little looking at books and yes, judging them by their cover. I always pick up books that look interesting and immediately open them to a random page, and read from the center to the bottom of the page. It’s an odd way of picking out books but has always worked for me.
While I was almost done reading a random page of a book called “Look me in the eye.” I looked down at a book with a Bible on the cover. I rolled my eyes. I have been avoiding Christian literature lately because it all seems to say the same thing and all ends with the conclusion that God really is real. I picked up the book and instead of looking at it how I would normally look at a book I looked at the front cover and then flipped it over to the back cover. Almost ready to plop the book back down onto the table I read the phrase “A sinners semester at Americas Holiest University.” I was curious.
I walked with 4 other books to the cafe area and sat down. Opening the book I was excited that there was no prologue to be found. Thank God. I hate those. I read the first two pages about Kevin Rooses’ journey from Brown University to Liberty University to “study” born again Christians. I was captivated. I kept reading and before I knew it I was 2 Chapters in. That is when I got a waft up my nose. A very strong stench of perfume was coming from the other side of the half wall I was sitting by, I looked and saw two young [about 22] girls with huge college books in their arms. They sat next to each other and started discussing topics from what I was guessing a pre-med final. Hoping they weren’t going to be too loud I went back to the book. Thats when he started talking about the “God-divide” and how it is sometimes hard for non-Christian to talk to born again believers. He encountered 3 people at a mega church and when they asked him “Do you know Christ?” He found that to them, he was an outsider.
Just then the girls that were on the other side of the half wall were saying hi to someone as he sat down. I looked over and there were now four people at the table. All of them with huge Biology books. I could over hear them talking about class and medical studies of some sort, before long their terms became way too much for my non-collegate brain. I looked around, looked down at my book, and kind of at their group and thought. “I am living the God divide that Kevin Roose is talking about.”
I never went to college but instead chose to “follow God” to Go Ministries for 2 years; being apart of the same rules and code of conduct the author subjected himself to. Side Hugs. No alcohol. No Secular Music. etc, etc, etc. He talked about how one of his friends was given 30 hours of community service because he went to a party and posted pictures of the said party on his myspace. I can relate. I was once pulled into an office and told “I am VERY disappointed in you.” by one of my leaders because I said I liked Kelly Clarkson on my facebook. I felt like I was one of the characters in this book being studied by the author.
On the other hand I feel like a Christian who is in the “world” trying to be a little more secular for everyone’s liking. I had a cook at work the other day ask me “Have you ever smoked?” “No” “Drank?” “Um…a little.” Pause. “Have you ever had sex?!?” Then after a series of other questions was asked how I “ever made it through life without trying anything.”
In my life I feel like I have always been a little too sinful for all of the Christians and a little too holy for all of the rest but today while reading this book I thought – why do we all think we are right about what is right? To some it isn’t “right” to drink but to others it isn’t “right” to pray before a meal. I am fed up with black, white, and grey areas. In the end, everyone may be wrong in the pursuit of each of us trying to be right. Just do what is right for you.

1. Dairy Queen [I decorated cakes & made ice cream] 2. North American Steak Buffet [Worst job EVER. I filled Salad on the salad bar] 3.Grand Theater [Free Movies because I made popcorn 

