College Kids Know Something We Don't

College is a little slice of heaven.

No, really.

From a humanity perspective, think about it. In high school, students exist in cliques. Call them friend groups, social tiers, popularity queues, whatever. There’s a distinct categorization happening in most high school environments where kids are labeled according to their interests, backgrounds, family clout, or all-around subjective “cool” factor.

As adults we know this is ridiculous, but it’s been the bane of teen life for decades, maybe centuries.

But then in college… social stratification changes. I discovered this myself years ago, maybe you did, too. And I’m seeing it in my own daughter’s experience right now.

People who were cast off as geeks in high school find a whole new identity in college, where nobody harbors any preconceived notions or prejudices of who they’re “supposed” to be.

Likewise, students who were worshipped as gods their senior year suddenly become accountable to different standards and assimilate into the masses, where they’re judged and embraced more equitably.

And kids who land on the same campus, from the same hometown, cross the invisible boundaries and build relationships anew with people they might never have befriended in high school. Social castes dissolve. Categories shift and melt away.

And people are valued for who they are as individuals, regardless of their origin.

THAT is what I mean when I say… heaven.

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ ” (Revelation 7:9-10)

Our world today – America especially – is a bit like a typical, dysfunctional high school. We’ve got this group gossiping about that group, bullies intimidating their prey, fights breaking out in the commons, and… quite literally… shooters invading the hallways.

I know many young people who’ve been eager to step out of that chaos and into the next stage of their lives, where they can start fresh, find like-minded camaraderie, and experience freedom from the oppression of labels and opinions. That is the promise college brings, and many students are finding it, at least to a certain degree. Praise God.

We could take a lesson from them, don’t you think?

Because God’s vision for us… for every single human being, no matter where you come from, where you dwell now, what you know, what you’ve done, or what language you speak to express love or hate or anything in between… is to unite, peacefully, with one heart, in praise to the King.

Can you imagine?

That vision isn’t a pipe dream—it’s our future reality. But we don't have to wait until heaven to start living like it's true.

What if we chose to see people the way God sees them, rather than through the lens of our earthly “high school” categories? What if we crossed those invisible boundaries, too, and built relationships with people we might normally avoid? What if we valued individuals for who they are, regardless of their origin?

God grieves over our divisions. But there's coming a day when those divisions will be no more. For those who believe in Jesus, that day is guaranteed.

Until then, let's lean into Him with hope—and maybe help this broken world get a little taste of heaven, just like our college kids, amen?