It is clear that that the college has done much
to lead students into serving others. Beth Anderson, director of the Institute
for Servant Leadership already has a reputation for encouraging new ideas and
delegating funds to meaningful experiences. I have recently returned from one
such experience: The Festival for Faith and Writing. The array of convocation
and chapel speakers is possibly better than any other period of Milligan’s
history. I will remember Dan Cathy, president and chief operating officer of
Chick-fil-A standing before us holding a cell phone in his left hand, to
symbolize the importance of staying connected to a changing world and the needs
of others, how he lifted his pocket Bible with his right and said, “There are
fundamental truths about life that have not changed and they never will change.”
Two classes in particular have caused me to look at the world through the lens
of social reform. On the first day of Christ,Hitler, Women, Dr. Thomas said
“Christian faith is a call to social justice.” Since then we have studied the
servants of the Confessing Church, struggling to realize their social role in
World War II Germany. In Victorian Period Literature Dr. Cook teaches “the
highest form of goodness is making sacrifices for the next generation.” We read
testimonies of workers suffering under inhumane working conditions in the
Industrial era, poets debating over the ethical implications of advancements in
science, novelists who write page after page after page … all acting on their
convictions to the benefit of their communities.
My purpose in highlighting Milligan’s efforts--besides wanting to get a couple
points added to my final grade in the mentioned classes--is to show that
Milligan students are being educated to serve and promote social justice. Why
then is there a cynicism then about servant-leadership?
Cathy Clasen, a Presybterian minister who spoke in Chapel last month, said that
we should “be soled by the logic of love” that we become unaware of ourselves.
When we overuse the term “servant leader” it is hard to follow her advice. Also,
some say that this term implies trying to get a good position in society. One
way we can avoid this is by working hard to select speakers who come from
various levels of society.
Sophomore Andrew Gibbons, a Humanities' major has quipped that perhaps
Milligan’s slogan should be “sustaining lives shaped by culture.” I have heard
this statement echoed by another students. They worry that Milligan students
have a tendency toward “consumer Christianity.” Ironically both agree that the
Milligan professors encourage social awareness.
In his The Imitation of Christ, Thomas à Kempis says, “If only their lives had
kept pace with their learning, then their study and reading would have been
worth while.” Perhaps we are being adequately educated, but as a whole our lives
are failing to extend beyond campus. I could be wrong. It would make sense that
most of Milligan students strongly participate in the community: churches,
volunteer groups, service-oriented classes, fieldwork required for their majors.
But even so, it’s time we more seriously examined the implications of being a
school that calls itself “The Bubble.” Perhaps we’d find there isn’t one.
But if there is, and we are not adequately serving the community, here a few
suggestions to help the term “servant leader” be understood in the way it was
probably intended: Serving others so that they might be led to an awareness of
Christ
Following the example of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. According to the LINC
office, 361 Milligan students and faculty volunteered a total of 1083 hours.
Of course some questions would have to be answered like, “Would that mean
service is ‘regulated’ by the institution of Milligan? Does getting a convo-punch
cheapen the experience? What about non-traditional students and those who are
already heavily involved in the community?” Arguably, imposing more service
requirements is no less democratic than requiring convocation attendance, but
the latter benefits the surrounding community much more.
Another idea is continuing our work to broaden the student concept of ministry.
Service does not have to be limited to the traditional places of service:
nursing homes, homeless shelters, etc., though those should be encouraged.
Perhaps students who contribute to the arts in chapel services would be
interested in playing at local coffee shops and bars. I do not mean that
students should haughtily carry their Christianity into Johnson City, or that
Milligan should encourage drinking among students. Rather that students
experience a broader, less orthodox sphere where they can make an impact their
community and learn from the ideas of others. Of course, students should never
feel they are required to put themselves in a situation that may jeopardize
their spiritual selves. But for some, going into alcohol-serving venues,
abortion clinics and nightclubs (to name a few examples) might be a good way to
cross the bridge from reactive to proactive Christianity.
Just a few suggestions,
-Mary Stephens