March 1, 2010 issue
Less-critical assent?
By Rebecca Yoder Neufeld Waterloo, Ont.I have never stood for the national anthem in my country of citizenship, the United States.
In some settings this has been difficult, but it has been a bodily reminder of where my first allegiance lies. If I were now to attend a sports event at Goshen College, my alma mater, I would be asked to stand for the anthem. I applaud the concern to not raise unnecessary barriers to dialogue with our communities. But dialogue about what the anthem represents and about our loyalty to Christ over nation is much more likely to arise if we are engaging in question-posing behavior. Why would anyone feel invited to dialogue by behavior that is the norm everywhere?
As regards the “new Goshen school of thought,” I am puzzled. “The new school of thought … [invites] us to become responsible constructive agents in all the many professions available to us,” President James Brenneman says. Isn’t this what we already do? Am I to disbelieve decades of alumni magazines and awards showcasing the professional engagement of professors and staff, students and alumni?
If the new school of thought has us saying “yes” less critically to our society and exchanging our salty savor for greater acculturation, I am saddened. We already do far too much of that as Mennonites and Goshen alumni.
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