What is to be done?

As noted last post, there is a lot of discussion on the internet among Calvin alumni and students concerning Bush and his speaking at commencement ceremony.

The challenge is how to channel all this energy and discussion into some useful expression. If that is not done, any opposition against Bush will be drowned out by the usual flag waving and blind patriotism, which invariably accompanies a presidential visit.

It goes without saying that this is largely left up to this year’s graduating class, and from the looks of this website they seem to be off to a good start. But what can we as alumni do to offer support that would be of substance, rather than all talk?

I like this proposal of a written statement, but allow me to propose one step further. I propose following the old principal of “putting our money where our mouth is.” For the sake of simplicity, I’ll make my proposal first, and then defend it after.

I propose that for one year we not support Calvin financially, and instead take any money that we would have given to Calvin, and donate it to Christian groups that work for peace. And of course write a polite letter to Calvin informing them of this decision (they say posted hand written letters are more effective than e-mail).

Now actually I’m not in the habit of donating annually to Calvin, and I suspect most of you aren't either. But I’ll write them anyway and tell them that this year I will not even be considering making a donation. It’s all a matter of how phrasing. Also I did do a bit of Christmas shopping at their bookstore when I was in town last December, and I will not be doing that again this Christmas.

Whether this idea will catch anyone else’s imagination or not, I’m not sure. I could end up all alone on this, in which case it would not be the first time. But if this strikes you as a good idea, by all means post it on your own blog or website or alert a friend. You don’t need to call it “Joel Swagman's idea.” In fact, given my lack of credibility in some Calvin circles, maybe it’s best if you don’t mention me. You can just say this is something that has been proposed, or something that some people are doing.

My Defense
A handful of you might remember that during the Rehnquist affair I was, in private conversation, pushing for more action. In retrospect however I was wrong, and you were right. The extent of our opposition to Rehnquist, the Chimes articles, input in the panel discussion, and the ad in the Grand Rapids Press, was more than adequate given the situation.

With Bush the stakes are higher. There are now literally thousands of people dead, both American troops and Iraqi civilians, because of this man.

As mentioned in a previous post, this war is obviously part of the political divide in the country, and not everyone will see it as wrong. And if you’re not with me on this one, this post isn't the place to do the heavy lifting of trying to win you over.

But assuming that you are against the war, the remaining questions are
1). Does having Bush speak at Calvin’s Commencement imply the college’s tacit approval of the war?
And...
2). Is this worth making a fuss over?

If the world of blog is any indication, it would seem that most people are not buying Byker's explanation that Bush at Commencement is simply part of Calvin’s tradition of inviting speakers from various viewpoints. Yes, Jim Wallis will be speaking at Calvin. No, Jim Wallis will not be giving the commencement address.

I don’t want to repeat myself from previous posts any more than necessary, but there are definitely standards for the commencement speaker. Someone who is not a Christian would never be invited to speak at Commencement. They might be invited to another function, but they would not be invited to commencement.

And call me cynical, but I find it very hard to imagine someone who had opposed the war being invited to commencement. Can you imagine French President Chirac being invited to speak at Calvin’s commencement? Do you think the college would have the guts for that one? President Byker would say, “Of course we don’t all agree with President Chirac, but we as Calvin welcome a diverse range of opinions. Just last week we had some conservative author give a talk to sell his book.”
Or can you imagine Noam Chomsky? Or the above-mentioned Jim Wallis? Or any of the leading opponents of the war speaking at commencement?

Well, I could go on and on about this, but I think most of you are with me on this one.

So, is this worth making a fuss over? I think it is if we take seriously the biblical command to be peacemakers in the world. And if we look at all the dead people not just as numbers, but people each precious to God. And each one with families here on earth. If we donate money or support an institution which allows itself to be used by the war makers of this world, what does that say about our Christian commitment to peace?

If we recognize that Christian theology holds only two positions regarding war, the pacifist tradition and the just-war tradition, then shouldn't we as Christians be absolutely horrified by what has happened in Iraq? Is inviting the man who began this war to speak at commencement the appropriate Christian response? When there are so many Christian organizations that do take seriously God’s call to work for peace, why support an institution that is seduced by the power of men?