Light, New Hampshire
Sujay Natson ’16
#where’sbae
On Being Single in Christ
GLORIA EISSEN
I recently discovered that people still go on dates? Which
got me thinking… Where he at, though? From the moment
I stepped foot on this campus, I’ve spent so much time
being hyper-aware of the hookup culture that exists so
rampantly on College Hill that I’ve failed to realize dating
is still a thing. People get dressed up, go out together for
a few pleasant hours, and call it a night - all while keeping
their clothes on. There are people out there who are still
covering the checks on date night for a shared meal
without expecting reimbursement through Venmo! Pardon
me if I’m sounding a little too shocked right now, but
I’m just saying, I’m not a picky person - so where’s bae?!
The following words are for all of you who are discouraged by
your singleness and equally for all of you who couldn’t care less
about it: singleness is not a waiting room. We live in a society
that places such a bright spotlight on romantic relationships
that it, more often than not, fails to acknowledge the value that
exists in the absence of one. But your time alone - your season
of solitude - serves a definite purpose. It gives you time to
cultivate your character. Forgive me for sounding a bit cliché,
but singleness allows you the time and space to look into
yourself, to discover not only who you are, but also to see more
clearly your intentions, goals, and aspirations as an individual.
Let’s look to the creation story in Genesis for a brief moment
here. After the light, the waters, the plants, and the animals,
God went on to create a man, namely Adam, from the dust
of the earth and the breath of His spirit (Gen 2:7). Adam is
alone for some time, walking and talking alongside God in the
garden before God sends Eve his way - but he is not left alone
to live aimlessly. In the same verse where we see God placing
Adam in the garden, we find Him putting Adam to work:
The Lord God took the man and put him in the
Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
(GENESIS 2:15, NIV)
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CORNERSTONE Magazine
At first glance, it would be easy to look past this verse,
assuming it to be trivial and empty as a transition into the next
part of the story. But when I delve deeper into the context of
this passage, I see substance and relevance. Adam is given
time to spend alone with God and to spend carrying out His
work. The time that Adam spends being productive as a single
man is the same time he spends in God’s presence. Adam’s
singleness isn’t exactly singular because he isn’t alone. So,
could the manner in which Adam