In a world which is increasingly becoming sceptical about anything related to God, Christian youth are facing a lot of challenges. They are challenged by the media, by the elementary and high school programming, by university professors and students, etc. Standing up for your faith has never been so difficult and challenging, especially for young Christian students today.
Jean-Ellis Gbessia and Andile Hlongwane from Ballinacrow church and Kenan Recto from Dublin West church faced this challenge when they applied to do the HPAT exam − Health Professions Admissions Test. The exam was a part of their preparation for studying medicine and/or some other health science courses at university. The only challenge was that the HPAT exam was due to be on the Sabbath (22 February).
As it is a high-stakes test and has the potential to impact significantly on candidates' futures, they knew how big the challenge was. On one hand, taking the test would open many doors for them and prepare them for a brighter future. While, on the other hand, not taking the test would perhaps put their dreams for the future and study plans at risk. They chose to honour the Sabbath.
So, they decided to try and ask for the date to be changed. Not waiting for God to open their Jordan River, they decided to step in faith believing that God would do what is best for them. By God's grace their appeal was granted.
The government's willingness to accommodate another date (23 February) for the test just for the three of them confirms that religious liberty is still very much respected. It is an important aspect of our society, which we should appreciate much more than we do.
In the culture where various ideas are constantly competing for their hearts and minds, these young people have showed that it is worth staying faithful to God no matter the circumstances and not to step back when faced with challenges. So accurate the words of a famous preacher and civil liberties activist, Martin Luther King Jr, who knew what it meant to face with the giants:
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
