Culture Shock Anyone?

By Lydia Wilkin

New students; I'm right there with you. I have seen some crazy activity on our neighborhood streets in the past week. And let me tell you, it wasn't all the fun type of crazy, not like when you have had too much cotton candy at the fair and you start hallucinating, but the scary and heart grabbing type of crazy.
First, i was walking back to campus from the BART with a group of girls. We were waiting on the corner for the light to change; this was one of those long lights where you have to try to amuse yourself. So, to later regret, i looked up at the apartment building across the way. Now this is a 3rd floor window without any blinds. You can probably guess what i saw, yeah that's right; a completely necked lady changing right in front of the window! Just standing there for the whole world to see; and there's no way she didn't know, i mean she was almost fall'n out onto the street, she was so close to the window! I couldn't believe it! The only thing that kept going through my mind was, "Does she want to get attacked?!" Then, only minutes latter, walking on the sidewalk now. A group of guys started yelling at us from across the street. No surprise right, well just wait. One of them gets on his little push scooter and starts following us. At this point the scooter boy was getting evasively close and the profane words continued to make me feel like a piece of meat. Then, before i knew it he was right beside me asking me questions and trying to get me to talk back to him. "Your not talk'n" he spat at me. "Nope, not a word.", i responded as i continued to pick up the pace and looked straight ahead. He then started pestering the other girls. We were almost to Walgreens and hopping he wouldn't follow us across the street. The light turned green and we speedily crossed, and praise the Lord he gave up on the hopeless pick up. We all felt so violated and abused. Above our feelings, we couldn't believe we were followed by some guy around 18 on a push scooter! I mean how in the world is a metal push scooter attractive?A couple of days later my roommate and I went for a walk down to the dollar store, it was around three on a Saturday afternoon, so we figured it would be safe. Which besides a few hollars and stairs we were, but again the culture shock took over. On two different occasions a group of elementary school aged kids passed us by on the side walk. The gang was roaming the streets like they owned them. Yelling at each other and those around with supernatural authority. They spoke the language they knew best, slang with a cup of profanity and "F" Bombs on the side. We could see a search for love and acceptance in their eyes. Passing by on their bikes, as if they were stallions. The last in the pack was a girl of about 12 with and what looked like her little brother of six sitting behind her on the extra large banana seat. Our hearts broke. Did their parents know where they were? Did they have any positive role models at all? How desperate and searching are those around us. Wither it be, the ones we pass on the streets or maybe even those you sit by in class. We are all made with a need for acceptance and love. The whole world is on this voyage to fill the emptiness within them. One looks for it by getting the attention of a mate, another fills that hole with a sense of ownership to a certain group or click. But those of us who know the cure to that emptiness, it is our responsibility to reveal the way to the one person that can fill that void. It is us who need to tell this lost and desperate world of the love of Jesus Christ, to show them that they cant be whole without Him. Jesus is the only Savior and he is ready to use us to save this city.