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Justin Brendel ('14) attends Haverford College, a liberal arts college outside of Philadelphia, where he is majoring in religion and minoring in economics. Academics are challenging at Haverford according to Justin.
“Compared to Whitefield, there is much more assigned reading and more expected from you on a daily basis in class," said Justin. "There are fewer grades given, and it is not rare to have only three assignments make up your entire grade for a semester. While stressful at times, it has taught me to be self-disciplined in staying current on class assignments.”
Justin acknowledges that the curriculum in his religion major (which studies all religions) does not approach scripture from a Christ-inspired worldview, so it falls on him to be able to discern sound logic from “wacky theories.” Justin says the exciting part for him is that the Bible is used. Although it is treated merely as a text, he is not limited to that understanding. He considers his papers as a ministry opportunity to his teachers because he is able to critically analyze the text by drawing on messages fundamental to truth, hope, and love.
Those fundamental messages carry over into sports as well as life in community with others. Justin says that lacrosse takes up a lot of his time, usually five to six hours a day during the season, but the additional commitment also forces him to schedule his time and use it well. Justin feels that the fair amount of playing he receives gives him the opportunity to be a positive contributor, which is a success in itself.
In addition to lifting weights, film sessions, and games, Justin loves his teammates and finds that the daily interaction gives him a chance to live out his faith. One of the ways he has done this is by starting a Bible study on his lacrosse team.
“This has been amazing because many guys on my team have religious school backgrounds but have never considered the Gospel as a personal message with real-life implications," said Justin. "A lot of people on my team say they like the idea of religion, like being able to follow a set of rules, but they have not heard that Jesus can change hearts. I think sharing Jesus with my team is a big reason why God has me at Haverford. I am constantly learning, discovering, and asking for new ways to engage them with Gospel-truth. Whether it is a question about Christian apologetics during a pregame warm-up to a question about holiness, these conversations always encourage me and develop deeper relationships with my teammates.”