New Testament theologian N.T. Wright, this year’s guest for the Augsburger Lecture Series, came and went on campus amidst his own speaking events, alternative Safe Space events, and hate speech written over Safe Space’s messages of love.
There had been much unrest in the student body as Wright’s visit approached due to his past expressed controversial opinions about the LGBTQ+ community based on his biblical interpretation, mainly through writings by the Apostle Paul. These opinions are what led Space Space to offer alternative events leading up to and after Wright’s coming.
Due to this unrest, Wright had been asked if he would engage in dialogue about his past statements with students. Wright declined, deciding to focus on the topics he had originally been asked to speak on.
Safe Space Advisor and Assistant Professor Deanna Durham said, “After listening to the chapel podcast of N.T. Wright, and being present in the alternative chapel… I am even more convinced that engaging N.T. Wright about the messiness and complexity of being “image-bearing, God-reflecting” humans put on this earth by the good and wise Creator to help “the divine project reach its goal,” in Wright’s words.”
Wright spent two days in Harrisonburg and spoke several times at EMU and JMU. His Augsburger Colloquium Address was titled, “Promised Glory, Thinking Straight about God and the World,” where he also allowed a time for questions about the lecture. In a service as Martin Chapel, seats were full with students and community members coming to hear Wright speak.
Wright also spoke at campus worship on “The Day the Revolution Began: Atonement the Right Way Round.” During which, an alternative event was held to hear from Matt Hunsberger, Assistant Director of Housing and Student Life, who has embraced their queer identity and remained a part of the church.
While Wright spoke at part of campus worship, Safe Space members and allies stood outside Lehman Auditorium with hand written signs proclaiming God’s love, and members of the EMU’s choir, which opened the service, wore Safe Space shirts as the sign of support.
“I like to think of the presence of Safe Space students and allies at chapel as one way of bearing witness to following Jesus here at EMU,” said Durham. “There isn’t just one way, but many, and I hope we continue to grow in our embrace of the many beautiful people in our midst who are Jesus followers.”
Safe Space members had also wrote the night before in chalk on the sideways and walkable areas outside of Lehman messages reading “none can stop the Spirit,” rainbows, and other messages.
However, these notes written by Safe Space were meet with resistance in the form of hate speech graffiti later that night. Willing students and faculty worked to cover up this hate with additional loving messages and designs. Tylers Goss, Residence Director of Hillside, was involved in correcting the chalk writing. “When I saw the graffiti the night that it happened, my heart sank. The messages of hate – that was not who EMU was… When I was hurrying to… pick up chalk, I came across various students with water already trying to erase the hateful graffiti. We came up with a game plan to round up last-minute help late that night. We had a whole brigade of chalk-bearing Royals, ready to reclaim and re-love. That was who EMU was.”
President Susan Schultz Huxman also released a statement regarding the hate speech. “EMU considers this act to be a form of hate speech, as these words target, harass and create a hostile environment. EMU does not tolerate hate speech and these expressions are not protected by our academic freedom policy… Words that divide and dehumanize our “life together” tear at the fabric of our commitment to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.” We stand with all in our EMU community who identify as and/or advocate for the LGBTQ community.”
An option circle dialogue was held the next day as a time for impacted individuals to meet together and unpack what occurred.
