Point University joins our community and our nation in lamenting the tragic instances of racial injustice that are being publicly mourned around the world. Our hearts and our prayers are with our brothers and sisters, created in God’s image, who face this kind of discrimination every day because of their skin color. In particular, we mourn with our students, faculty, staff and alumni of color, who are a valued part of the diverse Point University family.
The problem of racial injustice will never be solved by politicians or by laws; this is a problem of the heart. In Matthew 3, we read that John the Baptist called for repentance, for changed hearts and behaviors. Jesus does the same – and even better, Jesus made it possible for our hearts to be transformed. He ushered in a new kingdom where his will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. It’s time for us, as people of faith, to repent of our silence, step into the problem of racial injustice, and work for change.
The first actions will seem small compared to the size of the problem. But we must begin. I am confident that where we are at this moment is unacceptable and inconsistent with Jesus’s words and call in our lives. In the coming weeks, Point’s diversity task force will explore specific actions our University community can take to help bring about much-needed change.
We can never go back and get a redo for human failures that are generations old. Neither John the Baptist nor, more importantly, Jesus asked us to do that. What we are called to do is repent and change. Jesus calls us to love each other, to mourn together over our sinfulness, and to practice justice, mercy and humility.
If we build our lives, our churches, our communities on the practices of Jesus found in his teachings, then we establish a firm foundation. When we build on foundations of racial injustice, hatred, apathy and silence, the house will fall. The walls of the house are cracking. It’s time to fix the foundation.
In Christ,
President Dean Collins
