"Here in America we have reached a funny pass" writes Pres. Reagan's former speech writer Peggy Noonan in a recent column. "We used to be proud of whom we allowed to speak, and now are leaning toward defining ourselves by who we don't speak to and will not allow to speak. This is not progress. . . So much silencing. It seems so weak, so out of keeping with who we are. We love the tradition of free speech in America, but you don't want to judge its health by what we've done with it lately, or to it."
I love this quote because it reminds me of several conversations I've had recently about what/who we allow to separate and/or divide us from other people. Do we hang out or listen to those who only agree with us and our point-of-view? Or are we willing to enter into conversations with those from other points-of-view? In other words, how big is our tent? How much and how far are we willing to go in making room for the "others" in our lives whether politically, spiritually, educationally, etc.
I ask myself (and others) this question all the time at Jim Elliot School where, as a "Christian School", we face almost constant pressure to "narrow the conversation and participation" to those who are deemed "sound" (right) in doctrine, belief, theology, and practice. Anyone outside our self-proclaimed boundaries are immediately branded as questionable or suspect and, "maybe they don't belong". Or "if they are belonging, then maybe the school is suspect". So far, over the past 17 years, JES has resisted the pressure to take sides on multiple issues so our "tent" includes charismatics and non-charismatics, Calvinists and Armenians, pacifists and military families, on and on.
Churches are, of course, not exempt from this pressure as evidenced by a quote I've heard attributed to Dallas Willard: "There are over 30,000 Christian denominations in the world and they all think they are right." Other schools struggle with this as well. Colorado Christian University in currently embroiled in a huge dispute after Andrew Paquin, a very popular professor on campus, was apparently dismissed for suggesting that capitalism may be inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. Quoting Christianity Today, (CCU President Bill) Armstrong joined the suburban Denver college in 2006. Shortly thereafter, he unveiled a new set of "strategic objectives," stating that the college promotes free markets, limited government, compassion for the poor, Western civilization, and the "original intent of [the] Constitution". Paquin, hired the year before Armstrong, assigned books by Jim Wallis and Peter Singer in his classes. "I wanted my right-wing students to see that the left wing has some validity," he said. But Paquin insisted he is no enemy of capitalism. His ministry, the 10/10 Project, funds microloans for Kenyans to start their own businesses. "I think capitalism is an efficient and effective economic system," Paquin said, "but I won't deify it as an essential part of Christianity."
School or church, individual or organization, how big will we allow our "tent" to be? And are we OK with the fact that, as Peggy Noonan suggested, we seem to be increasingly defining ourselves by who we won't engage in conversation rather than who we will?
