Taboo: The Things We’re Not Talking About

To my brothers and sisters in college:

Nobody knows what’s taboo in this world better than you. Each day in school and at work, you’re bombarded with what’s acceptable to speak about and what’s not, what’s okay to bring up in front of your professors and friends and what you can’t, what words and phrases and ideas are acceptable to hold and which aren’t.

And that means that you know just how taboo the Christian understanding is of sex, marriage and gender. Dare to tell someone you are waiting to have sex until you’re married, and you’ll get the hairy eyeball. Explain that you believe marriage is between one man and one woman, and you’ll be labeled “bigoted” and “intolerant.”

It’s enough to make a Lutheran college student want to clam up and run. But our Lord teaches you to do the exact opposite, and that’s why He’s put parents and pastors in your life to help you articulate what Jesus has to say about difficult matters, how to speak the truth in love and why it’s not so scary to confess Christ in the public square after all.

Defending the faith, especially in university classrooms and college quads, will be one of the most difficult things you’ll do. But in the next few days, you’ll be reminded of the power of God’s Word. You’ll be reminded of the gifts given to you in your Baptism that enable you to confess what you know to be true on account of Christ. You’ll be reminded of Jesus, who sees nothing and no one as taboo, but who loves to forgive and comfort His children.

You are baptized into Christ, and that means that your beliefs and confession will be taboo to the world. But … you are baptized into Christ, and that means that no college professor or campus group can snatch you from Him, from the One who loves you, who died for you and who rose again … all for you!