Yesterday at noon, as we were fliering for O-week on campus, there was a walkout/protest/poetry slam about the tuition increases at the UC's. Apparently there were similar demonstrations at the other 9 UC campuses yesterday as well.
What bothered me was not the poetry slam, but what seems to be the motivation behind the protest. I'm just not sure how effective a walkout really is. Maybe writing letters, I'm not sure, but something would be more effective. But I don't think that was people's real motivation. It seemed more to stem from the fact that everyone wants to be a rebel, to stand out, and 'stick it to the man'. Everyone jumps on the protest bandwagon because our hippie parents have told us that's what college students do. On Tuesday students protested on campus in their underwear because they "sold them to pay tuition". Again I am afraid about how budget-cuts will effect the lives of so many students, but taking your clothes off really isn't going to effect anything. I really everyone wants to do something radical, to 'fight the man who's keeping us down'. But it just seems so self-gratuitous.
Meanwhile at Woodland Community College 22 of 34 faculty staff face layoffs. Tuition increases at 4 year universities is scary, but the effects of budget-cuts to the Community College system scares me more. Many students go to JC's to save money, but if they are unable or cannot afford to what then? Why are we protesting at UC's when the impact at JC's is much more significant. Everything seems backwards.
It's times like this I almost want to give up on America. Pack the bags, throw my junk in a box, and move to some other country. But other countries have their issues too; it's ameri-centric of me to think that just the US has problems.
It's times like this that I am reminded that we are not of this world; that we are "to be in the world, but not of the world," "Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God" (james 4:4b) As much as I may want to check-out, to abandon ship, leave this world to it's destruction, that's not why I'm here. God's ministry is redemption, reconciliation; to breathe life into this dark, hurting, and broken world. After the fall of man God came back for us. Emmanuel dwelt and dwells among us. Now God has "reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 corinthians 5:16-21)
It's not about how I feel. God is calling each of us to the ministry of reconciliation. In times of trouble like this I am reminded that the Lord is my hope. Our hope is in Jesus not because that is how I choose to comfort myself, but because truly Jesus alone can save us, can offer us any solution or freedom from our problems, brokenness, and pride.
And so I will keep from giving up hope, and keep bailing water.
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