As Christians, we may try to bring God into our chapters. But is it possible that He is already there?
Most fraternities and sororities are based on Jewish or Christian principles. This means that most chapters have rituals that relate to the Old or New Testaments of the Bible and promote God’s desires for His people. I mean, come on. We are literally brotherhoods and sisterhoods trying to help people become the best versions of themselves while also helping the community around them!
I still remember standing in Chapter one night my freshman year. I was next to one of my sorority sisters the year ahead of me. She turned to me and, with the look of epiphany on her face, whispered “oh my gosh, that’s a prayer!”
I tried not to giggle because I’d realized that the first time I’d heard it. But her lack of awareness is so representative of most of our experiences with ritual. We learn how to do our chapters’ rituals and don’t think about or quickly forget the meaning. But each ritual holds deep meaning and so much of it is based in things related to Christ!
Think of your own rituals. Are there prayers, mentions of the Judeo-Christian God, or even just Christian-like values that you can root in Christ?
Think of the Greek System as a whole. We are rooted in the ideals of friendship, service, scholarship, and leadership. All of these are seen in the Bible! So how do we take what is already apart of Greek Life and root it in Christ?
1. Identify it.
Pay attention in your chapter meetings, at Initiation, and other events involving ritual. See what directly connects to God, and look for what could be connected to Biblical ideals.
2. Meditate on it.
That sounds scarier than it is. Basically, just think about its meaning. What is it saying? What kinds of Biblical truths can you glean from it? How is it teaching you to apply the Bible or God’s character to your chapter?
3. Act on it.
Pray the prayer in your ritual with real meaning, rather than rote memory. Thank God for the way He has instilled himself into your chapter already. Mention the Biblical references to your brothers or sisters as a talking point and see who is interested in hearing more about faith-based conversations. Essentially, get your heart involved!
Our chapters are important parts of our lives. Thanks to many of our founders, we can integrate our Greek lives and our Christian lives even more than most people think. So as you head to chapter this week or participate in ceremonies, remember to pay attention to where God is at in your ritual!
