Below are excerpts from a letter sent to the Soulforce Equality Riders by a student at Dordt College, a biblically-based college in Sioux City, Iowa whose policies define same sex relationships as immoral conduct and grounds for expulsion or dismissal.
Conversations between Dordt students and the Equality Riders took place in the wake of harassment and vandalism during which “anti-gay slurs — one of which was misspelled — had been painted on the bus” the night before. Despite disagreement over the school’s policies, the Dordt community welcomed the visit as “a learning opportunity for our students and an opportunity for Christian witness,” and even helped the riders clean the bus.
Does Patrick Henry College have the spiritual strength to welcome those who disagree with them, or is the risk of having even one student question their assumptions and open their heart like this too threatening?
Specifically, how would this principle – “..the ability to engage the world in debate requires us to truly listen and consider the opinions of others, while never compromising our commitment to God and His Word” – be served by forbidding contact with the Equality Riders?
You can read more about the experiences of the riders on their blog. More in-depth reporting on the ride, with photos, is here.
If someone had told me at the beginning of the week that I would be deliberately making and spending time with LGBT people, I might have told them they were crazy and laughed it off. I admit that I never had any intention of attending any of the presentations or the panel discussion when you guys were here at Dordt. But because one teacher decided that my Sociology class should attend the presentation instead of holding class, my life has been changed, and in an amazing way! My mind and my heart were really truly opened. Never has something really stuck with me this hard or so clear. Everything I experienced in the past couple of days has been so amazing. I met some incredible people and I have come to cherish every second that I spent in their company. God works in mysterious ways. I felt God pulling at my heart and now I understand why”¦
…I want to encourage you in that no matter what happens, you have friends here at Dordt College that are praying for you the whole way on your journey. You are warriors on a new battlefield. You are a few against many. But your strength is with each other and with God and you will shake the foundations of this nation and the church down to its core. For with God on your side, who will be able to stand against you? Whether you reach an entire campus or just one person, you have made an impact and you have initiated change. And that is something that will stick for life like it will with me. These past two days and the friendships I’ve made will stay with me my entire life…
…What you are all doing is courageous and brave. You face opposition and adversity and yet you continue on. You are all amazing people. I wish you all safe travels and I will pray for your safety as you will probably face communities that were not as pleasant or “accepting” as what you experienced at Dordt. May God watch over you in everything you do and protect you with his loving hands. And may He work in the hearts of those who so strongly stand against you. I love you all and God Bless!
This reminds me of Jay Bakker, Jim & Tammy Faye Bakker’s son. I encourage everyone to try to see the Sundance Channel’s documentary program called One Punk Under God. Jay is a very strong and devoted Christian, a pastor of his own church (Revolution Church), but just felt that the way the church was handling the issue of homosexuality was VERY wrong. He met with a group of Christians who were transgender and felt that same “heart tug.” After that, during a Sunday service, openly supported gay marriage and proclaimed an open door policy. He had funding pulled, and major backlash, but stood firm. I, too, am a Christian and am a passionate advocate for gay rights. So many Christians have missed the mark, misquoted the Bible, misunderstood the context, and misrepresented Christ. It’s a shame.
Thanks so much for the post, Lori. Dordt was indeed an AMAZING stop. Hearts and minds really have been changed at Dordt. In our first three stops on the Ride we have seen both the best scenario (Dordt) and the least ideal scenario (Central Bible College & Oklahoma Baptist). I can’t wait to make it up to our stop in Virginia, at Patrick Henry College, and see you all! I hope Tully will be there!
Thanks for your comments – we are still hopeful that PHC will come around and be the one to set the example of Christian hospitality. What are they afraid of? Is it that they know the abstract image they have created of “homosexuals” will be contradicted by real people? Given their expectation that the young people they are training will go out into the world and represent their world view, it makes no sense to isolate them from reality – how are they supposed to learn to deal with it? What it says to me is that the witness of these people who have come from the same background but to a different conclusion is so powerful and impossible to deny that they must be silenced and blocked out. That’s quite a testimony in itself.
Does the PHC administration not trust the students enough to have this kind of learning experience and opportunity for witness? If not, it should make for some good conversation with the students who choose to engage anyway.
When is the bus scheduled to arrive at PHC?
I think that’s still TBD. They plan to be here in town the entire day of April 12, and we will do our part by hosting a reception for them and anyone else in the community, Patrick Henry College folks included, who wants to join us for fellowship. You planning a road trip?
That’s Repubby Hubby’s birthday. Doubt I’ll make it but I wish you the best.