I think our campus has historically struggled with the development of spiritual apathy during students’ time at Covenant. This problem does not necessarily come from a desire for the college experience, or from the required chapels three times a week that make time thinking about the Lord more frequent. I think this problem stems from a culture that is comfortable, in other words, having the knowledge that everyone around you is a Christian, and, as a result, that culture is quite stiff towards non-Christians, and far too loose around other Christians.
The problem of spiritual apathy is one that is both a self-discipline issue, and a social one. Being apathetic does not necessarily diminish your ability to get work done, and it does not bar you from connecting with friends that you are around 24/7. But this problem manifests itself so subtly that by the time you realize you are not desiring God as much anymore, your habits have already been fashioned in that direction. Your time in the Word is seldom, your prayers are uttered only when you desperately need something, and with chapel three times a week, once you are without it, your faith becomes deadened by the sudden lack of worship.
My first year at Covenant, I was a staff writer for the school paper and interviewed the four seniors that delivered testimonies in chapel. All four of them shared about their first ever experience with spiritual apathy towards God during their time at Covenant. I was so curious as to how this could be the case considering the culture as well as the classroom are so focused on the narrative of the Gospel. But I learned so much from these seniors about something that I would soon face myself.
Apathy is not just a disregard for the Word, prayer, or just not valuing time with Him as you should, it is developing a lifestyle and routine that completely leaves Him out. This is partly a habit issue, but it is also a dependence on the wrong things. Spiritual apathy, as it is titled, is indeed a spiritual problem. It is a sin to neglect our souls in this way.
There exists far too much instruction in Scripture on the way we are to pursue Christ to even consider the fact that spiritual apathy is uncommon, or that it is too insignificant for us to bother eliminating from our spiritual walk.
We do not struggle against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. So this struggle of apathy is one of great theological significance. It is a sort of numbness of the soul to its eternal reality. C.S. Lewis points out in The Screwtape Letters[1] the significance of small habits and forgetfulness to make the sinner thrive on his own fallenness. It is the small things the devil uses to distract us from doxology.
So how do we redirect students to spiritual formation of their individual souls and talents while involving them in community? Is it an institution’s responsibility to encourage students in their personal lives in this way? Certainly, this should be a concern in Christian institutions, but how can this be done without making it another assignment? When can a responsibility also become a desire for the Christian?
A theology of sin is imperative here. We are held accountable for what we do. God does care about that, but what we spend our time dwelling on in our hearts is even more important to Him. What are the things you spend hours thinking about? What are the things you spend hours wishing you could do? Have you devoted any of those things to God? Have you asked Him to lead you and bring clarity to the situation? I know I struggle to do all of these things I am laying out as the main problem in spiritual apathy: bad habits.
Like Paul, we do the things we don’t want to do, and do the things we don’t want to do.[2] What does this mean for us? It means we have more than one reality at play in our current moment. We are living in fallen bodies that are bound for an eternal, perfected, heavenly home. We are supposed to care about both now, and nurture both now. Both of these acts are serving God, and neither have the ability to survive the neglect that spiritual apathy brings to our physical reality.
I hope to see a more affectionate Christian community in the coming years as I seek to be faithful to others, but only as a result of intimate time with Jesus on my own as well. And as much as I want Covenant, or church bodies to pick up on some of the discipleship and take action, God will still have to move hearts toward Him if we are to see a more personally devoted body of Christ.