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Lynne had a great birthday celebration this weekend. April
and Jared came in from Steubenville and we were able to eat (a lot) and enjoy
another family birthday. I gave her (Colt’s coach) Tony Dungy’s book and a
certificate for a “spa experience.” Just writing that makes me realize what a
contrast these gifts are! Well, Lynne is quite a study in contrasts (in a good
way).
This is homecoming week as well as our Board of Trustees
meeting. A little too busy but it’s all great. We have different alums speak in
chapel all week (I speak on Friday; “The State of the University.” (Ohio?)).
The actual homecoming is a lot of fun. Now in my fifth year I’m getting to know
a lot of people.
I spent the first part of this past week in Arizona with
several buddies who are also presidents at institutions of Christian higher
education. Getting together to talk and pray is a refreshing experience. Nobody
really understands what we go through except other college presidents.
One of the major issues that all of us face is what is
called “the dark underbelly” of the church: the constant accusations, even threats, from other
Christians whose stated goal is to “take you down.” I call this the “ministry
of personal destruction” (MPD). There
are people, websites, publications, etc., who think they represent God by
publicly condemning people, churches and schools. None of them ever talk
personally to those they accuse (too biblical, I guess) but they lose little time
in raising suspicions about everyone. Add
some facebook nonsense and you could spend all day answering charges, rumors,
and accusations. Some of the godliest, most conservative people I know have
been scorched by those who have the gift of MPD.
I have chosen rarely to respond. There are far more
important things to do. However, I am heartbroken by the viciousness of the
attacks so many encounter.
It reminds me of my friends in Russia who talk about the
times under communism when everyone was suspicious of everyone else. Don’t ever
be seen reading the wrong book or talking to the wrong person. Once you were identified
with any questionable people or ideas, your life was in danger. There was nothing
you could do to remove the doubt. The same was true in Nazi Germany and even in
the US during the “Red-scare” period of the mid 1950`s.
I (maybe naively) think we should always give other believers
the benefit of the doubt; to “always protect, always trust, always hope, always
persevere” (1 Corinthians 13:7). We definitely need to be accountable for our
lives but there is enough antagonism “out there” that we should work hard to first
preserve the unity of the Body of Christ. Our unity and love for each other is,
after all, two of the marks of the Christian (John 13, 17).
Have a blessed week! Let me know how you are doing.
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