The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
We’ve been working on a new set of core values for the Kay Spiritual Life Center, and this is the first one: “Every human being has immeasurable worth.”
This truth is stated in different ways by prophets, philosophers, gurus and sages across history and around the globe. It echoes through how we greet one another in word and gesture — “namaste,” “shalom,” “ojigi,” “salaam,” “aloha” and “sawubona,” for example. Given the anxiety and fear some people are feeling, it bears restating in a more personal way.
You matter. You are precious. You are loved.
Since our dedication in 1963, KSLC has worked to “transmit to the maturing minds of each generation the basic ideas of the sanctity of each human being and his or her equality before God, for this is the faith that unites us all.” There is still much work to be done to fully ensure this high ideal for all people.
Public discourse, decrees and the recent on-campus presence of a lone agitator have left many members of our society and the American University community fearful and angry. They feel that their basic human worth and dignity are being stripped away. They need support, care and connection from each of us. Every human has immeasurable worth. Because, in reality, there is no they or them. It’s all us.
The hammer blows of hatred will continue to drive wedges into our fractured sense of community. These actions isolate the most vulnerable among us and test our resolve by tempting us to sacrifice a few strangers to possibly save ourselves. Will faithful Christians denounce religious nationalism in their tradition alongside like-minded Jews, Hindus and Muslims? Will LGB give up on TQIA+? Will established immigrants turn their backs on the newest Americans? Do Black lives still matter to the rainbow people around them?
Recognizing the challenge of protecting our neighbors is only half the problem. The great lie told today is not merely that some people are not worth protecting. The greatest lie also includes the idea that what is happening is inevitable, that everything is hopeless and that you cannot do anything to stop it.
You can. We must.
There is hope, and it begins with you. You don’t have to change the world. You only have to change yourself. More specifically, you need to be intentional about how you interact with the world around you and try to make that little piece of the world a little bit better.
While I cannot change the world, I can hold space for my friends and colleagues to feel seen, safe and heard. I can make KSLC more welcoming and bolder in our work. I might write or say something to empower someone else to also do their piece of good for the world. If each of us makes the world around us a little better, imagine how much better the whole world can be.
No one will change the world, the United States or even AU by themselves. We can choose to change ourselves, to be caring and empathetic, to speak boldly and to build community. The saying goes, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” So, today, do something good. Something loving. Something true. Just do something.
Rev. Eric Doolittle is the University Chaplain at American University.
This article was edited by Quinn Volpe, Alana Parker and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Emma Brown and Nicole Kariuki.
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