Blog

It’s been a really hard year. Two of my grandparents have been in and out of the hospital all year, and my dog passed away at the age of six in July due to cancer. I’ve had to walk with students and friends through some really complicated circumstances. And to put the sarcastic cherry on top, I’ve had to wrestle with all the death and destruction I see in the world.

From the get-go of human history, one of our shared universal experiences has been cloud-watching.

Clouds are one of the few things we have in common across time, geography, culture. We’ve always had an “up” to look towards, and in that up-space, the “sky,” we’ve always seen them: wisps and blankets that wander the expanse above us. 

Growing up, Nurlan cared more than anything about people experiencing compassion, love, and justice. He was raised in an atheist family, and he thought Christianity couldn’t be used for anything other than a weapon or a way for some to position themselves as better than others. 

“Not only did I not know who Christ was, I was told, ‘Stay away from that. That is a distraction from your future,’” he said. 

I often say, “Food is the love language of the Chinese people.” If you’ve ever been to a Chinese banquet, you know that we love good food and lots of it! We celebrate birthdays, weddings, memorials, and all special occasions with food. Good food is the way we share love and celebrate relationships. I’ve found this to be true in every culture I’ve experienced.

Mac and Roy are InterVarsity alumni who are bringing God’s love to the world through both of their ministries. We sat down with them on the InterVarsity World Changers podcast. Below is a summary of their story, but you can listen to the full story here on the podcast.

I always tell my students that tax collectors were kind of like mobsters. They weren’t your typical blue-collar criminals; they were the worst kind of traitor, getting rich off the imperial oppression of their own people.  

At the Indiana University, the Greek system is one of the largest in the country. During the 2024-2025 school year, two students named Mike and Ned decided to start a Bible study in their fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon. They hoped they could help their brothers follow Jesus like they had.  

"Jesus changed my life, and I wanted God to use me to show my fraternity brothers who he is," Ned said.