Civic engagement, understood as the idea of embodying in the public sphere our deepest convictions, is a term that I’ve long embraced. For me, those core values connect with my Christian commitments, so my own civic engagement grows from those Christian convictions.
During my college years, I was deeply involved with the student newspaper and had a keen interest in politics; I imagined myself as a kind of caped crusader, taking on a raft of public policy issues to make the world a better place. Immediately after college, I took a voluntary service position as an editor with Evangelicals for Social Action, the social justice advocacy group directed by Ronald J. Sider. In my editorial writing, I researched a topic and presented an argument for a possible 
solution. At the same time, I remained directly involved in issues, whether marching at a Washington, D.C. protest of the first Gulf War or helping feed homeless people in Philadelphia.
Though my venue has changed, in significant ways much of my approach remains the same. In my classes, I attempt to help students find connections between what we’re studying and present-day issues. But I also seek to be directly involved in “gestures” (as our 2007 Convocation speaker Carl McDaniel called them) that reveal my deepest convictions. I continually look for opportunities to help students find linkages to today’s questions. For instance, in a Humanities 2 discussion of the 1930s attraction to fascism, we also discuss the U.S. Patriot Act and consider the dangers of ceding too much control to the government in times of fear. Or in a literature class discussion of Slaughterhouse-five, the recurring phrase “so it goes” in response to every death leads us to ponder together the ways we all act as though we have no choice or responsibility in the face of massacres and other disasters. Engaging with students the core questions of how we, as Christians, should live in the world is a central element of my civic engagement.
Yet I also want to be sure that my involvement includes direct action. One way that my wife and I strive to make a difference is through social justice organizations—development, educational, peacemaking—that we support financially. Even though I’m under no illusions that my small steps will save the world, I strive to make gestures to embody my deepest commitments. As a way of helping hungry people in Lima, Ohio, our family participates in our church’s gleaning program, in which farmers at Grace Mennonite allow others to glean leftover produce to be taken to local soup kitchens and food pantries. In recognition of our environmental responsibilities, we generally avoid using disposable plates and cups when we host gatherings. And, as a way of helping coffee farmers in the developing world receive a fair wage, we organized an informal co-op to buy fair trade coffee.
Whether discussing abuses of individual rights or choosing the products I purchase, I seek to connect my Christian convictions with the civic realm.
