ex(PR)essed

Randy Balmer, Columbia University professor, author, and critic of the Religious Right spoke at Messiah College on Monday night as part of the The Boyer Center’s Distinguished Lecture Series. First, it was great to see Hostetter Chapel nearly full, especially since it was the first day of classes and absolutely frigid outside! Second, Richard Hughes provided an oustanding model of how a speaker should be introduced; Richard did not read Balmer’s bio, instead he wrote his own thoughtful, personal introduction that provided a much better sense of Balmer’s expertise and personal experience.

I attended in large part because I find myself increasingly interested in the collision of Christianity and politics. I am intrigued by the divergent ways Christians perceive and understand the Bible and teachings of Jesus. These differences are publically demonstrated on everything from gay marriage to environmental stewardship to the war in Iraq, and Balmer highlighted how such conflicts among evangelicals affect the political arena. I continue to seek how my own faith should interplay with how I vote and find voices like Balmer’s to be a refreshing addition to the chorus of other highly-visible, Christian leaders who don’t always sing a tune that matches the song in my heart.

College is designed to challenge, motivate, educate, and transform. Messiah does this well — exceedingly well actually. I’m glad this institution doesn’t back down from talking about challenging, emotionally-charged issues. With that in mind, I encourage you to save the date for a few more lectures: Tim Wise on Feb. 26, Jim Wallis on Feb. 27, and Jonathan Kozol on March 28.