MYC: A Reflection - 25/5/09
By Kevin Loo
It is a sad and harsh reality I know, but the days of being a uni student are numbered. In the seven or so decades we exist on this earth, university comprises less than 1/15th of it. Yet so much growing and pure living is crammed in, it’s no wonder they call these the best days of our lives.
This is my 4th and final year of uni but I have only been to MYC 2008 and strangely enough I will also be unable to attend this year. But one out of four ain’t bad, and last year’s left me with plenty to keep in memory for the rest of my life. It truly was an immense week in my year and I feel there is one phrase that aptly sums it up…
That phrase is one I have very much taken to heart- ‘intellectual whiplash’. Bible guru and all-round nice-guy Philip Jensen took us on a whirlwind tour through the concepts and doctrine of the resurrection and how it isn’t simply just some far-off abstract spiritual concept. How does Christ’s resurrection really impact our lives here and now? How is it that we are the ones to judge angels? Why is my spiritual resurrection causing my physical existence such anguish? Who on earth is this Melchizedek character?!
‘In the end, the resurrection of Christ is where Christianity stands or falls. If not for that, we might as well just give up now,’ said Phil. It’s as simple as that really, and I had never thought of it that way before… And revelations like this just kept on coming throughout the whole week.
The Bible teachings were like none I had ever experienced. Intense in both content and delivery, Phil’s 2 hour talks actually flew by as I struggled to jot down every nugget of wisdom that spewed forth from the stage. Up until last year I had never really engaged with my faith on such a deep or intellectual level before, and coming out of MYC I really felt all the better for it.
Don’t let ‘intellectual whiplash’ turn you off though. It is far far far from a bad thing, especially when you’re surrounded by 500 like-minded students all eager for that much-needed ‘d-n-m’.
But then again, when you put 500 students together in the same building for 5 days- Christian or not- all sorts of mayhem can and will ensue.
I won’t give away too much, but things do get a bit hectic as the week draws on. You’ll just have to go and experience it yourself I say (all in good clean Christian fellowship of course!)… Just imagine human pyramids, crazy games by Hannah Russell and/or the Korean group, guitar singalongs, night bush hiking, a haunted cabin, the infamous llamas…and the Prayer Tower by day turned into an altogether different beast by night.
If that doesn’t grab your attention like it did mine, don’t worry! The beauty of being at such a uni camp is that free time is exactly that- FREE time (i.e. no teachers or parents to keep you in line). Instead of doing backflips on a blanket trampoline just go and do whatever you want! Grab some friends and a guitar, find a quiet spot, and talk about your Christian life experiences long into the night. That’s what I did, and isn’t it always the quieter moments in life you truly appreciate and love? (note: about the blanket trampoline, I heard someone remark either indignantly or bemusedly,, ‘have you seen what these crazy Wollongong kids are doing?’… I found it quite amusing actually)
As with any camp, there is a decrease in overall sleep hours through the week. On top of this, the days themselves were crammed with spiritual and intellectual intensity like none other. So it was with some trepidation that I returned home to real life. Away from the spontaneous yells of STARFISH, away from the constant presence of crazy Christian uni students, and away from the pervading sense of belonging and bliss.
To my surprise, the post-camp blues never really kicked in. I felt quite the opposite – rejuvenated like never before. MYC is often touted as a life-changing experience and I would go so far as to endorse this (sceptic as I was beforehand).
MYC is also touted as a place to find your future wife/husband, and heck I may as well endorse this too.
Kevin is a 4th year honours student (med physics) who seems to pop up everywhere. He can be found on the other side of the globe during MYC. He enjoys driving in the rain, with the windows down and the metal music coming out of the car. He also likes to bring conversations to an awkward point, before walking away in search of food.
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