When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, he was talking about civic engagement. The Samaritan reached across borders of nationality, religion and prejudice to respond to someone in need. In telling the story, Jesus asked his listeners and his followers to see “the other” as a sister or brother—to reach out, engage, stand with and share what we have with them, whether that is food, healing, education or power.
An important part of my engagement has been trying to reach across physical, mental, spiritual and social borders by first listening to the voices of the dispossessed and marginalized, and then using my own life to stand in nonviolent solidarity with them. I’ve focused my involvement in two areas: international peacemaking and seeking justice for those marginalized here at home.
Since 1986, I’ve been involved with Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT), an organization that seeks to reduce violence by maintaining a nonviolent presence in areas of war, conflict and oppression.
This past May, I led a CPT delegation of 10 North Americans to Colombia, visiting local churches and communities where three
armed groups have brutally abused and killed civilians. As a result of the CPT presence, together with Colombian national groups, 200 people were able to return to their homes and farms in the Magdalena Medio region. This May, I’ll again lead a delegation to Colombia, this time to the southern state of Nariño. Leaders of the Awa indigenous people have asked CPT to establish a presence to ensure that the various armed groups respect the civilians living in the area.
Here in the U.S., I’m very involved with helping newcomers overcome marginalization and find acceptance in our communities. I’ve worked to help native-born folks understand the stories, lives and aspirations of those who migrate here, whether they come as refugees from wars, or whether they come seeking enough food to eat and a better education for their children. In Minnesota, before coming to Bluffton last year, my wife, Laurel, and I worked with a coalition of local families to create a public, multicultural/ multilingual peace school for 110 children of Latino, white and Asian backgrounds.
On campus, I serve on the university’s Damascus Road team, an integral part of Bluffton’s effort to understand and remove barriers to growing participation of African American, Latino and other underrepresented groups. Bluffton continually strives to be a place where people from many races, cultures, social classes, languages and backgrounds can fully participate, grow, learn, teach, work and thrive. As a faculty member, I aspire to further the civic engagement opportunities and
transformational experiences that Bluffton provides.
