Simeon McMillan | Praying for an open mind

If like many a Penn student, your weekend ritual begins with communion from a shot glass and ends on your knees at the porcelain alter of your toilet, I've got news for you - you just might need Jesus.

But even if he isn't your "homeboy", as per the gospel of Urban Outfitters, there's nothing wrong with engaging someone in a polite dialogue on religious issues.

For this year's Jesus Week, members of Penn for Jesus have decided to take a more evangelical approach, by asking students for prayer requests.

Despite the outcry, though, students shouldn't feel offended by this practice. If we Penn students are truly as open-minded as we proclaim, let's not shy away from opportunities to engage in respectful dialogue on matters of the mind, body, and soul.

Understandably, this issue is a little sensitive for some students. "In the right context [being offered a prayer], can be flattering . but if it was to point out a flaw in yourself, I could take it as condescending," said Wharton and Engineering sophomore Daniel Irwin.

Given the cloak of anonymity, many individuals didn't explain their discomfort as eloquently as Irwin.

On last week's article about Jesus Week, several online comments called the practice "arrogant," "fake" and tantamount to "being propositioned by a prostitute."

To corroborate whether receiving a prayer solicitation was as abhorrent as my disgraced former New York governor, I decided to seek out my Christian comrades. Posing as an undercover heathen (your typical aspiring banker), I stood outside Houston Hall waiting for divine intervention.

Immediately, I spotted two students standing near the doors to the facility, armed with pens and index cards at their sides. Calm and unassuming, they were not at all as intimidating as Obama's spirited pastor.

The moment we made eye contact was straight from a middle-school dance. We were like awkward adolescents in a dark-lit gymnasium - each recognizing the other's presence, but seemingly too nervous to make the first move.

Nursing sophomore Zach Ferris ultimately broke the ice, asking me if there was anything I wanted him to pray for.

I offered a prayer of strength for the half dozen freshman pledges I had just passed who were holding lunchboxes and wearing absurd costumes.

I had no idea what those girls could have done to deserve such public embarrassment, but I was certain Jesus loved them no less.

After sharing my other - albeit more serious and personal - prayer request, I asked him for his thoughts on the overall experience.

"What'd probably surprise people to know is that when I approach them, I'm probably just as scared [to ask for prayer requests] as they may be [to give them]," he explained.

After seeing some of the outlandish responses on the Internet, Ferris and his friends explained how they had preemptively discussed ways to be less daunting to nonbelievers.

"It was a bit of a surprise seeing the reaction people had," Ferris. "We're doing this out of love and not because we think we're better than anybody."

"We found that if you say, 'Can I pray for you?' some would find it much more offensive than if we said, 'Is there something you'd like me to pray for?'" explained College senior Christina Lordeman.

Despite the increased sensitivity, some students still weren't completely at ease.

"I feel a bit guilty asking for help . asking someone to deal with my problems for me," said a senior who had been approached by one of the volunteers during the course of the week.

I fully recognize that issues of faith are personal matters, and we each have the right to respond in a way we see fit.

But college is a time for growth - and not just academically.

May we not become so lost in our quest to feed our curiosity that we forget to feed our souls.

That's a prayer we can all live with.

Simeon McMillan is a Wharton senior from Long Island, NY. His e-mail is mcmillan@dailypennsylvanian.com. Common $ense appears Thursdays.

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