Part of being human and part of being a teenager is having this desire to fit in. As a Christian, though, I am called to be different (Romans 12:2). This was a struggle growing up. The high school I attended during my freshman and sophomore years was not like CORE is. There were over a thousand students on campus at any given time, and it was easy to feel lost in the crowd. You were constantly surrounded by cliques, and unfortunately, it was obvious where you weren’t welcome. High schoolers can be rude and disrespectful. Hearing 5-10 different curse words in any given setting was the regular. Someone walking into class smelling like pot or vape was the regular. Students dropping out because they were pregnant or had beaten someone up felt regular. 

And then there was me. Starting high school, I was quiet. I wanted to fit in. I had my own thoughts and opinions about the way things were going, but I rarely shared them. I’ve never been the kind of person who enjoys rocking the boat. So I didn’t. I laughed along with the jokes, quietly watched the fight videos, and just smiled when someone said they were high. When my friends asked what my weekend plans were, my answer was “nothing much, just hanging out,” knowing full well that come Sunday morning, I would be in church. I had Christian friends who were open about their faith, and that was what I wanted to be. But I didn’t know how. This was just the way things were. Until one day, I was faced with a choice.

One day in the spring, a debate started during class. Not a class debate, not a friendly debate, but a debate between my teacher and the few Christians in the class. My teacher was openly atheist, and unafraid to challenge our views. The debate ranged all over, from “How are Christians supposed to act?” and “What about miracles?” to “Is God fair?” and even “Is God real?” And after listening for a few moments, there was a point that I chose to step in and witness (share what I know) about what God had done in my life. After that, I was no longer part of a class debate— it became a one-on-one conversation, with thirty students lifting their eyes from their computers and watching.

Now, from that experience, I did not convert my teacher to Christianity. And I may not have answered every question entirely correctly. But I learned something. I learned that sharing my faith and telling others about Christ is not something to be scared of. And after that day, instead of feeling ostracized like I expected to be, I felt respected and valued. I wasn’t just another face in the crowd anymore. I was a real person who had something to say and who wanted to say it! 

My faith had always been a part of who I was, but now it was the part that everyone could see. I started witnessing to my friends, inviting people to church, and even bringing my Bible to school! That is the way I have strived to live my life since then. It hasn’t been easy, but it has been worth it. I will likely always feel nervous to share about Christ. But when I think about how nervous Jesus was when he was getting ready to die for me, my own fears pale in comparison. He has called us to be different, so I am going to be different. After all, “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 KJV).