Lipscomb University welcomes alumnus Robert Solomon to speak on Christ-centered inclusion
Lacey Klotz |
“I want you to understand that notions of diversity, inclusion, equity and justice are not concepts rooted in political correctness. They are values rooted in the word of God, which charges all of us to think of others and to be willing to place the interest of others above our own. That is Christ-centered inclusion.” – Robert Solomon
As Lipscomb University continues to grow in diversity, President L. Randolph Lowry last year launched Respect Leads, a leading university value that promotes an attitude of respect and inclusion.
A diverse committee of students, faculty and staff was tasked to help foster a culture of respect on Lipscomb’s campus and to help prepare students for the diverse world in which we live.
“Jesus calls us to be a community unified,” said Lowry. “We begin to have that community by having respect for one another. Respect Leads will continue work on a university-wide basis to foster an attitude of respect as our leading virtue. Jesus demonstrated respect for those who had different experiences or histories than his own. We can do the same.”
On Thursday, Oct. 19, Lipscomb University welcomed Robert Solomon, Lipscomb alumnus and assistant vice provost in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Ohio State University, to campus to speak about Christ-centered inclusion, as the first Respect Leads featured speaker in fall 2017.
During The Gathering chapel service, Solomon illustrated what it means as a Christian to be inclusive, quoting the examples that Jesus and the Apostle Paul gave in Luke 4:18 and Galatians 2:11-14, respectively.
“My friends, silence and neutrality is simply not acceptable, nor is it Biblical,” said Solomon. “We can even see in Galatians 2:11-14 when the apostle Paul himself boldly and publicly challenges his fellow apostle Peter on his bigotry against gentiles in the presence of his Jewish friends. We also see Christ himself turning over tables in the temples in the face of the moneychangers. And in Luke chapter 4:18, Christ quotes Isaiah and says ‘the Spirit of the Lord is on me because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, and to set the oppressed free.’
“I suspect that far too many Christians have allowed their ideologies, priorities and values to be guided by the dominate culture rather than the mandates of God, particularly when it comes to matters of racial injustice and inequality.”
Solomon charged the Lipscomb community to be a more inclusive campus and to lead the way, in a polarized society, by being led by the Spirit of God.
“Do not allow the angry voices of hate to dominate the discourse. Do not allow suspicious whispers, stereotypes and ignorant peer pressure to shape your thinking and your actions, but please allow the word of God to guide you even when those you may love most oppose God’s truth. They may need you to show them the way,” said Solomon. “Do not view your challenges as calling people out but view them as calling people into a more meaningful conversation about what God has to say, conversations guided by love, patience, respect and experiential collaboration.”
While on campus, Solomon also spent time with multiple student groups before speaking about privilege at an evening event in Stowe Hall.
Solomon outlined how individuals often do not recognize the ways their own lives are privileged until others who do not enjoy those privileges point it out. That’s why it is so important to listen to those with different perspectives, he noted.
Lack of privilege, he said, is defined as a structural system that makes the operation of life more difficult, or more of a stretch, than it would be otherwise. For instance, he told a story about a time on his home campus when snow was shoveled from the walkways onto the handicapped ramps, which inconvenienced handicapped students and visitors. Solomon admitted that he himself never noticed until it was pointed out to him, he said.
Solomon took some time to dispel myths about privilege that many of us use in our conversations on diversity. Expanding privilege to a group that does not enjoy it does not mean giving up something, Solomon explained, nor does it mean that people enjoying it didn’t work hard in life. We are given privilege just from knowing God, and that privilege is never ending, he said. “God’s love covers everyone. Nothing is lost when we all enjoy privilege,” he said.
Finally he presented several "respect strategies," including read, listen and think more; stand up for marginalized people; listen carefully to language; and be willing to engage in difficult conversatons.
"What are privileges?" Solomon asked at his conclusion, "They are blessings, and as children of God we should certainly seek to let others enjoy all the blessings as well."
Interested in learning more on the topic of inclusion? Try these books recommended by Robert Solomon:
- Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson
- The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander
- The Tyranny of the Meritocracy, Lani Guinier
- Confronting Authority, Derrick Bell
Want to learn more about Lipscomb’s Respect Leads events and future speakers?
- Civil Rights Museum Tour in Memphis, Oct. 28
- Jamel McGee and Andrew Collins, authors of Convicted, will be on campus in February
For more details contact Lipscomb’s Office of Intercultural Development at 615.966.5210.
- Janel Shoun-Smith also contributed to this story