Jesus, the 12 Disciples, and Spring Break in Florida

My son recently boarded a plane to spend his college Spring Break in Florida with his fraternity brothers. Thanks to his newly established “reselling popular sneakers” online business, he sold a righteous pair of low tops that paid for his plane ticket and lodging, so off he went. I know college spring break trips are not a recently conceived phenomenon. When I was in college, I took a Spring Break trip to Missoula, Montana with my a cappella singing group, but while it was a hilarious, fun, and memorable adventure, I can assure you it was a far cry from the bikini contests historically hosted by the Sunshine State. I really don’t have a great association with the words “college, spring break, and Florida”. It feels to me a little like the phrase “nothing good happens after midnight” and my mind instinctively jumps to movies that depict students partying with reckless abandon, when clothes are coming off and all sorts of lascivious and risky activities transpire. I kissed my son goodbye, implored him to wear sunscreen and make good choices, and told him I loved him. If I am being honest, I also told him I didn’t want a police officer showing up at my front door, and I didn’t want to have to fly down to Florida to identify his body. The sweet and considerate boy that he is, I have been receiving daily “proof of life” photos to verify he is indeed, still alive. Seriously, he sends the photo with the tag line, “proof of life”. I adore this child.

I have spent his entire week away rationalizing the time he is spending with his fraternity brothers. Yes, I know part of the appeal: the sister sororities are also vacationing in Florida. I was not born yesterday. But smart pretty girls aside, there is something special about the time my son is spending with his not-biological brothers. They are doing manly bonding, adventuring together, and creating memories. But as I wrestled with why this shoestring budget trip was so important to him, it got me thinking. It’s about the value found in brotherhood. I realize in this day in age, we are advocating for equality of men and women, and not excluding people from activities based on their sex. I am totally on board with that. But I also acknowledge that just as I love to sometimes spend time with only my girlfriends, men like to sometimes spend time with only their guy friends. That is OK in my book.

And, as I prayed for and about this Spring Break boondoggle, and in an effort to relieve my anxiety, it got me thinking even further: Wasn’t it Jesus who started the first fraternity? Hear me out: A group of 13 men who bonded over the same values and mission and who were inextricably linked to one another through mind blowing and life changing experiences (much like a spring break trip to Florida!). Clearly Jesus was the President, and I am fairly confident Peter was the VP, as he as the first to declare that Jesus was the Son of God. But Peter also denied Jesus when he was with a maiden, so clearly, the sorority girl temporarily challenged the brotherly bond. But just temporarily. We will give James and John the positions of Treasurer and Secretary since they were part of the inner circle. John clearly was the secretary since he was quite the writer (as the Gospel of John, I John, II John, III John, and Revelation have all been credited to him), and by default, that makes James the money guy, which makes sense since he was a fisherman and was probably used to counting fish. Andrew was totally the Rush Chair, as he was known for introducing others to Jesus, and was the first to have the title of “Home and Foreign Missionary”. I am going to give Matthew the position of Pledge Master. He was a despised tax gatherer, and yet Jesus saw his potential, and Matthew was reformed. I believe that Matthew, in return, saw the potential in new followers, and taught them about the value in following Jesus, much like a pledge master will teach new fraternity recruits about the value of that specific brotherhood. We are left with the role of Social Chair, and I am going to assume that role fell on Thomas. Thomas showed up – first at the raising of Lazarus, and then in the Upper Room. In doubting Jesus, Thomas ended up making the greatest confession of faith when he said “My Lord, my God” when he put his finger into the nail prints in Jesus’ hand. While he was sometimes characterized as being gloomy, his faith became so great, I know he was rushing to socialize anyone who was willing to listen to his testimony and was the guy enthusiastically inviting everyone to the next social gathering, compelling them to just show up. I assume the remaining disciples were equally busy with tasks like cleaning up the leftover loaves and fishes or maybe returning cloaks to people after they respectfully placed them on the ground in celebration as Jesus processed on a donkey into Jerusalem. All twelve disciples were important, and each was valued for their individual contributions in support of the brotherhood.

If we look at all the activities Jesus and his disciples did together, it feels a little like spring break in Florida: they traveled together, ate, drank, slept, camped, fished, hiked, barbecued, stayed up late, gave each other nicknames, joked around, cared deeply, and talked politics. And over the span of a few college years, these fraternity brothers, like the disciples, will give advice, defend one another, rebuke one another when necessary, forgive one another, and expect more from individual brothers than they often expect from themselves. And this entire enterprise, much like the 12 disciples’ experience, centers around trust. Let’s not forget that Jesus also turned water into wine, and I am pretty sure every time he did that, it made for a great party.

It is not lost on me that my son’s fraternity is Alpha Tao Omega. Unlike pledges from many different fraternities who learned to recite all the Greek letters before a match burned to their fingers, I don’t know many of the Greek letters at all. But I do know Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, which is who Christians around the world believe Jesus is. I know that God is the reason we trust and care deeply for other people; the reason we forgive one another; and why we need, love, and celebrate the community we find with other people. In the Bible, Jesus and his disciples share amazing stories and give us a blueprint from which we can pattern our own lives, or at least help us understand our instincts and then guide us in how to make the best choices despite them. Which is why my son’s fraternity and the spring break trip make perfect sense. They are living out community, amidst all sorts of temptations and challenges in being human. But they have each other’s backs, much like the disciples, which really helps a mother worry less.

I have to think Jesus would have loved the Spring Break trip to Florida! He would have relished walking barefoot in the sand and would likely have walked on water, encouraged his disciples to wear sunscreen and drink in moderation, but he would have also enthusiastically provided the wine and celebrated the community he found in old and new friends. And he would have challenged everyone he met to follow him and join his fraternity that was all about love. And so, over the din of party music, and amidst the barely-there bikinis, sun-kissed bodies, and red solo cups, I pray these gentlemen have fun and appreciate the value of brotherhood, knowing they follow in the footsteps of the One who started it all.