Statements from University President Dr. Charles A. Fowler and Vice President for Athletics Matthew Pope
Like the rest of the nation, I have watched the events that have unfolded this week related to the horrendous killing of George Floyd with heartbreak, sadness, anger, and brokenness.
Dr. Charles A. Fowler, University President
Like the rest of the nation, I have watched the events that have unfolded this week related to the horrendous killing of George Floyd with heartbreak, sadness, anger, and brokenness. We have witnessed a reality in our world that many choose to ignore. This week it has been lived out before our eyes with such clarity that it cannot be overlooked.
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I turn first to Scripture to assess my feelings and interpret the situation. I have come to reaffirm some deeply held theological convictions –
• We live in a fallen and broken world
• The only real reconciliation is Gospel reconciliation
• Every person of every ethnicity was created in the image of God
• Racism in all forms is anti-Gospel
• The life of every person is precious and valuable to God
To me, as a follower of Christ, to declare that I believe these things is very important. However, the call of Scripture is to show our faith by and through our works. Therefore, our faith is best seen in how we live.
The deeply held biblical truths listed above must be evidenced by –
• Publicly and consistently expressing my love and devotion for Jesus
• Boldly proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the only hope for real reconciliation and forgiveness of sin
• Passionately loving my fellow image-bearers of God regardless of ethnicity or background
• Aggressively defending and serving the powerless, the poor, the voiceless, and the oppressed
• Tenaciously showing the value Christ places on every life by allowing His love to flow through me to ALL PEOPLE
I am still at a loss for words to appropriately describe how I am processing all that is taking place in our world. Communities and families are so broken and too many people are hopeless and in such great need that I recognize only Jesus can make things right. Saying that is an acknowledgement that my faith in Jesus must be seen in real world ways through my love for others. I pray that my convictions about these biblical truths will shape my commitment to living and loving like Jesus. I pray that our broken world will see the hope and the life that is found in Jesus. I pray that the Church, the assembly of all who have surrendered their lives to Jesus, will repent when needed, serve without prejudice, love without a restraint, and live lives that reflect Jesus! Praying for and pursuing these things provides a way for me to get involved in a positive, helpful, and Gospel-centered way with the hope of seeing all that is broken be redeemed through Jesus!
Matthew Pope, Vice President for Athletics
Over the last few days, I have felt overwhelmed with a need to address what is occurring in our country. I was sickened an outraged by what happened to George Floyd. Acts like this just cannot be tolerated. I am also deeply saddened for those who have lost loved ones to acts of hate and for those who endure the daily fear of being judged or treated unfairly. In thinking about our country today, I was reminded of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hung by the Nazi's in Flossenbϋrg concentration camp just days before liberation.
He said, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil; God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act." What's occurring today is without question insufferable and I believe that Satan is reveling in our division, dysfunction and hatred for our fellow man. We must turn from our wicked ways as 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads, "and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land."
I pray that our communities and the world will choose to follow Jesus Christ, as He will make all things new again and we can certainly trust Him. I also pray that we will back up our prayers with action and truly follow Jesus' teachings.
In this increasingly frustrating time, where we have a pandemic layered upon country-wide social unrest, it's difficult to offer concrete action. We certainly hope and expect that we will be competing on fields and courts this fall. When that happens, we will do more to reflect and honor those who have been impacted by this tragedy.
