forgiveness

Today a group called Equality Ride paid a visit to the campus of my alma mater, Messiah College. The purpose of the group is to protest organizations who have policies that they deem to be discriminative towards homosexuals. As I understand it, their method of protest is civil disobedience and frequently results in arrests. I believe that one of their goals is to bring media attention to the various organizations they protest and hopefully create pressure resulting in change. Of the various organizations they have visited, Messiah took a different response. Most places they have visited and refused them permission to demonstrate on their campuses. In a letter to the Messiah community from President Kim Phipps, the college maintained its position on homosexuality, but welcomed the group to campus and invited open discussion. They also strongly encouraged students to be welcoming and friendly to the group's members. Unfortunately a group unaffiliated with the Messiah community showed up to stage a counter-demonstration. This resulted in the police being called in to campus. I believe things calmed down with no arrests. I respect Messiah's position on this event. They are coming under fire from both sides of the political and religious spectra. They are willing to maintain their unpopular position, at the same time making it clear that it does not mean that those who believe it necessarily use it to look down on others. I believe this is the type of response to such a situation that Christ modeled. He did not stage angry demonstrations against the Romans, Gentiles, or really anyone else. Once again Anabaptists have brought our attention to the tangible relevance of Christ's teachings through their continual efforts to model them. Throughout their history this has led to their being treated much in the same way he was. Once again I am grateful for and humbled by their willingness to do so.

Springtime in Dixie

I have found my way south to Hilton Head, SC for our annual spring break vacation. I am sitting in the Atlanta Bread Company, enjoying some great coffee and an oatmeal raisin cookie. After making the 650 mile drive from Maryland/ PA to here many times over the years, I have come to enjoy it a bit. One interesting thing about making the drive in April is the opportunity to go from spring to winter in about 10 hours. Two weeks ago, we got a foot of snow in Hanover. Today, I am sitting under wind-swept palmettos and 85 degrees of southern sun. There is nowhere I would rather in April than South Carolina's Lowcountry. I can think of little that compares to the sight of azaleas bursting into brilliant shades of white and pink, the majesty of oak trees draped in spanish moss, or the gentle caress of warm salty ocean breezes. From a hedonistic and romantic perspective, it is quite utopian. I saw something on the way onto the island that tempers the pleasure a bit for me though. In order to avoid traffic onto the island, I detoured down some back roads. This back way takes me through a remote area populated largely by the descendants of slaves. In South Carolina, many of these people have never moved very far from where their ancestors once worked in forced labor. They have remained in isolated communities and have retained distinct characteristics of the former slave culture. Those residing on the SC coast are known as the Gullah people. As I drove through this area, I passed a billboard. This particular billboard had was comprised of a confederate battle flag, and it read "Never Forget." I couldn't help but wonder aloud if the billboard was intended as a call to whites to retain their heritage, or if it was intended as a message to the Gullah inhabitants of this remote corner of South Carolina. The message certainly could have a different meaning for these two groups. It is hard to balance the charm, beauty, and friendliness of the south with the hatred and divisiveness of not only its past, but also its present and its future. I am sure many northerners cannot do this at all. I still love it here. I am glad I saw the billboard though. It is right in a way. It is important that we never forget. Although I am on vacation, I can't wait to return to teaching and the opportunity to make sure my students never do either. Perhaps by remembering it for what it was, rather than for some romanticized facsimile, we can make sure it never happens again.