Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea--for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him. Mark 1:15-20, NRSV
Note: Today is once again Bid Day at Clemson for the historically white sororities. I first published “Bid Day” on August 27, 2004, almost five years ago to the day. Several tearful phone calls and conversations over the last few days have reminded me of “Bid Days” from the past. I hope that these words will once again prove helpful to those who feel left out as others celebrate. CLG
For thousands of Clemson co-eds, this past week marked a special event in their college career: Bid Day. After a week of rush, walking around in high heels and wearing constant smiles on their faces, many girls received a bid from the sorority that they had hoped to join. The scene on Bowman Field Wednesday evening foreshadowed what is to come next Saturday in Death Valley as hoards of girls ran down the hill from Tillman to meet their new “family.”
Like at most Southern schools, Greek life is a big deal at Clemson. I have heard estimates that over one-half of all Clemson females will join a sorority, while one-third of all males will join a fraternity. On a campus the size of Clemson, it continues to be a great way to meet new people and make new friends.
As a campus minister, I am always a little nervous when Bid Day rolls around. Most years I’ll hear two or three stories of students who did not get the bid that they wanted. Fraternities and sororities occasionally do and say things to alienate, hurt and exclude others. A lot like some churches.
I can remember Greek rush in my undergrad days. At my alma mater, practically everyone went through rush, with three out of four opting to pledge. When I declined an invitation on Bid Day (mostly for financial reasons – the dues were just too expensive), it was a very difficult decision. After not going Greek, I was labeled a “social outcast” by one classmate. (Ironically, he’s now a UM minister like me.) The experience left me very cynical not only toward the Greek system but also toward some of my classmates who felt “called into the ministry.”
My wife, on the other hand, had a great experience in her sorority at the College of Charleston. To this day several of her best friends were fellow Chi Omegas. She served as President during her last full year, learning much about what it takes to lead and inspire others. Thanks to her experience, I came to appreciate some of the more positive aspects of fraternity and sorority life.
For four scruffy, unpolished men, Bid Day came not on a field of green grass but beside the seashore. A man named Jesus was creating a new, different kind of fraternity. When he saw Simon, Andrew, James and John, he issued them each a bid. “Come, join my fraternity. Follow me, and we’ll fish for other people.” Immediately, the four dropped their nets and accepted the invitation. They were filled with excitement. They were nervous about what the future might hold.
Like the young women a few nights ago, the four men said “YES” to Jesus without really knowing what was in store for them. Unknowingly, they had just joined a group that would forever change their lives. As brothers (and later with sisters), they would be asked to leave their old families to form a new one. As brothers, they would be sent out to invite others to join their new fraternity. As brothers, they would be asked to reconfirm their loyalty to their founder over and over again. As brothers, they would be required to love, care and stand by one another…even unto death.
In Jesus’ fraternity, every day is Bid Day. And every Bid or invitation is preceded by the same words spoken by Jesus as he began his ministry. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that when Jesus issues his invitation to discipleship he also “bids us come and die.” To live with Jesus, we must always first experience death. Death to our old, meaningless gods. Death to our old, narrow perspectives. Death to our old, life-threatening habits. Death to our old groups and labels. Death to our prejudices. Death to our self-importance. Death to everything that keeps us from becoming who God has created us to be. Maybe it is no coincidence that the Latin prefix for God (dei) is so close in spelling to the English “die.”
As Paul reminded us, in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, slave nor free (Galatians 3:23). All persons – no matter their background, race, education or status – receive the same bid from the Great Bidder. But many of us choose not to accept the invitation. Some, like me, reject it for financial reasons. Tragically, others refuse the invitation because they don’t feel worthy or good enough.
As members of the family of God, we have been charged with the responsibility of sharing the invitation to each and everyone that we know and meet. It will be easy to share this Good News with those who look and speak like us. The difficult work lies in extending the invitation to people unlike us. May God give us the eyes to see all people as worthy of receiving a bid, and may God give us the courage to extend a bid to the one ignored by everyone else.
Casting nets everywhere,
lane
Director, Clemson Wesley
Campus Minister, Clemson UMC
PO Box 1703 Clemson SC 29633
864-654-5547 (o) and 864-207-9135 (cell)
Feel free to forward this email to a friend. The Clemson Wesley Weekly Devotional is a ministry of the Clemson Wesley Foundation, the United Methodist Church’s ministry to students on the campus of Clemson University. The purpose of this email is to look at issues relevant to the life of Clemson students through the lens of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you would like your name added to this list, email Rev. Lane Glaze at glaze@clemson.edu.