Courage for this Time
By now nearly all of us will know, or know of, someone who has lost their job because of policies and directives coming out of Washington, DC. To paraphrase the old meme, if you are not disturbed, you are not paying attention.
Our patron ancestor, Hypatia of Alexandria, lived in similarly chaotic times, through political and religious turmoil, and ultimately her own grisly murder at the hands of a mob. Up to that time, she was one of the most highly respected teacher/philosophers of the ancient world. At Cherry Hill Seminary, we have always looked to her for inspiration to forge ahead, always promote learning, engage in free (and respectful) speech, and enjoy the journey of curiosity.
Our professors teach for us not because they can earn a living here, but because they share these values. Many, if not most, of them have a “day job” at some kind of higher education institution. This week the American Association of University Professors urged education leaders to remember our fundamental duty to protect academic freedom without constraint of political pressure. I and others of us are members of this brave coalition and are watching with interest the lawsuit they just filed (American Association of University Professors et al v. Trump et al) to oppose the defunding of the University of California.
Here at CHS we endeavor to teach and practice active listening, appreciation of diverse ideas and viewpoints, and nonviolent ways of speaking. This is not censorship, nor is it dumping out the contents of Pandora’s box and waiting to see what will emerge. It’s probably safe to say that CHS will not host an extremist influencer to address our virtual campus. But if we did, I am confident that the influencer would find us unwilling to be used as kindling for a conflagration.
If you are frightened – so am I. Courage at a time like this may consist in continuing to show up, persisting in our vocations, and nurturing our relationships. And some of us will go shout, chant and wave signs at rallies. With my privilege of white skin and birthright citizenship, I am not yet afraid of being arrested at a rally. But I’ve reached out to the several black and Hispanic neighbors here adjacent to my house to let them know my husband and I will be there in a heartbeat if they have a need. When that time comes I doubt I’ll have time to think about courage, I’ll just do what I need to do.
My words here don’t offer solutions. But I hope we can take comfort in the community we have built. It is a precious commodity that can give us courage when the noise gets closer. — Holli S. Emore, MDiv, Executive Director