Activity at Tulane

We just arrived home from D.C. last night, and I'll post some updates on all that shortly, but here's a little current events blast from Tulane in the words of President Scott Cohen:

March 18, 2008

Good Morning:

I know I just wrote you a few days ago but I couldn't wait to tell you the exciting news that emerged from this weekend's inaugural meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative U (CGI U).

The energy was electrifying and the enthusiasm infectious as 700 college students joined activists, speakers, more than 30 university and college presidents, celebrities and guests from around the world to make commitments to specific solutions for global problems.

Tulane not only played host but also made several CGI U commitments of its own that address global issues in the areas of health, education, poverty and the environment. One Tulane CGI U commitment, announced by President Clinton himself, was our pledge to open several community health centers in New Orleans neighborhoods. These community centers will provide high-quality heath care for those who cannot afford health insurance and will also help revitalize depressed or hurricane-ravaged neighborhoods.

We also pledged to host annual summits, a web site and other efforts by which we will encourage universities throughout North America to implement our successful post-Katrina curriculum that makes public service a requirement of graduation. As the first major research university with such a requirement, we are already recognized as the national model and leader in civic engagement.

We also became the landmark 500th signatory of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, pledging that the university will measure its impact on global warming and develop a plan to achieve carbon neutrality through reduced energy use, green building, increased recycling efforts and other measures. The one-minute interview at this link will tell you more about these commitments.

Since this will be my last Tulane Talk before our upcoming three-day weekend, I want to take this opportunity to wish each of you a safe and enjoyable holiday.

Recap

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us this week!
Monday night turned out quite well.

At 6:30pm we had a Albanian style dinner with missionary Mark Orfila with some of our Chi Alpha group. Mark shared some stories from his time on the field, and we prayed for him and his family. more pictures

At 8:00pm we welcomed the Tulane community to our counterpoint to Ann Coulter. Typical to Tulane, the response was small. However, Mark's talk, and the subsequent Q & A time was definitely beneficial to our students, and the handful of guests.

The Good News about Jesus was shared, and Mark presented a coherent Christian response to religious hatred, and the trend of tolerance. I hope we can build on this, as our students gain boldness to speak up for the love and truth of God, and as we search out creative ways to share the Good News to wider audiences.

Also, last night I was a part of a panel discussion hosted by the GLBT Caucus of the Tulane College Democrats. I'm not sure why they chose to invite Jen and/or I to represent the Christian Perspective on homesexuality and gay rights in America, but I, with a bit of fear and trembling, accepted the invitation. All in all, the discussion went pretty well. Two of the other panelists (a Reformed Jewish rabbi, and a young Philosophy & Ethics professor) were not particularly happy with my answers to questions about the morality of homosexual behavior, but otherwise the students asked me several questions, and gave my dissenting opinion a fair hearing. I only hope my demeanor, and the bits of God's Truth I was able to share were a small glimmer of light.

Finally, our last monthly Gathering of the Fall semester is next week. Please continue to pray for us and our students!

Ann Coulter Visits Tulane, and Chi Alpha Responds

Follow the News regarding ultra-conservative political pundit, Ann Coulter's recent visit (this past Monday, the 22nd) to Tulane:

Tulane Hullabaloo 12 Oct 07

Tulane Hullabaloo 19 Oct 07

Letter to Hullabaloo Editor 19 Oct 07 #1

Letter to Hullabaloo Editor 19 Oct 07 #2

Tulane New Wave 24 Oct 07

I was present at the event with some of Tulane's Student Affairs faculty and staff to attempt some level of crowd control. I tried to keep my area somewhat subdued, but the whole event really turned into a circus as Coulter's loaded arguments continually received jeers, rude gestures, and more from a mostly antagonistic audience.

I left the event heavy-hearted as so many students I have been called to share the love and message of Jesus with left with angry, bitter hearts, hardened in their preconceptions about Christians, God, etc... as Coulter regularly identifies herself as a Christian, and the majority of America's evangelicals are heavily associated with political conservatism.

However, I believe God has set us up for a great opportunity of response, and our Tulane students agree. Before we knew of this visit by Ann Coulter, and it's association with what is called Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week we had invited missionary Mark Orfila to come visit our students to share about his experiences ministering among Islamic Albanians in the Balkans on the 29th of October. Mark has an amazing heart of love for Muslims to the point of literally turning the other cheek when he was beaten for his work sharing the message of Jesus!

Mark has agreed to change our planned prayer time into an outreach for dialogue at Tulane. Please pray for us!

As part of the publicity for this event (not much time to get the word out), I have submitted the following letter to the editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo (student newspaper) this afternoon:

One of the most difficult statements Jesus of Nazareth ever made was, “Love your enemies.” Many people throughout history, and around the globe today have made a practice of self-identifying with Jesus as a Christian while routinely neglecting his more difficult teachings. Ms. Ann Coulter is one of those millions. While I cannot speak for the reality of her religious persuasion and faith, I am confident in the assertion that her recent visit and talk at Tulane completely failed to reflect the ethic of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers…Blessed are the meek…Turn the other cheek…Walk an extra mile…” Even as all people fall short of the ultimate expression of Jesus’ teachings, I think it very unfortunate if anyone at Tulane were to take Coulter’s attitudes and beliefs as generally representative of Tulane’s Christian population. Ms. Coulter refuses to give a legitimate hearing to those she disagrees with, and makes her money by belittling opposing people and views. Despite the rather juvenile response of the crowd this past Monday at McAlister Auditorium, I believe we can all be bigger than that. As a leader of one of the Christian communities here are Tulane, I would like to invite the Tulane community to an honest dialogue regarding such difficult issues as cultural and economic imperialism, terrorism and religiously motivated violence in general, tolerance and hatred, and Christian evangelistic work. These are not easy topics, but if we are to be the best people we can be, we must address difficult issues with more than a jeer, a prejudgment, or an apathetic wave of the hand. I also hope Tulane Christians can have the opportunity to graciously present their beliefs, and the ethic they embrace as followers of Jesus of Nazareth. As one step in that direction, I invite the Tulane community to join us this coming Monday, the 29th, in the 1834 Room/Faculty-Staff Dining room in the LBC (#215) at 8pm for a talk and dialogue with a Christian worker who has lived with the Islamic Albanian people in the Balkans for the past decade: When Cultures Clash: Hatred vs. Tolerance… or is there another Way – a counterpoint to Ann Coulter. For the sake of space and real dialogue, only the first 60 guests will be admitted.

news from the Ivy Jungle

Tuition Inflation: Most of us feel like we already pay a lot at the gas pump, but if the cost of gas had increased at the same rate as college tuition over the last 25 years, it would now cost $9.15 a gallon. By the same comparison, a gallon of milk would cost more than $15. (AP October 14, 2007)

Sometimes Political Activism Works!

http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2007/09/karl-barth-is-going-back-to-pr.html

I was able to help reverse a plan for American prisons that would have banned innumerable religious books from prison libraries. Only an extremely limited, and seemingly arbitrary list would have been allowed. A book like The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren would have been barred from prisons all over the USA! I am so glad this has been reversed.

I won't talk about politics much in this blog, so don't worry. I just thought that this was pretty great.

Speaking of reading, here's the list of books I'm currently into (no, I usually do not read so many books at one time):

The Koran





Metamorpha












Reading Scripture with the Church Fathers











St. Augustine's Confessions













The Historical Jesus in Context











Devotional Classics

Tornado

Wow!
Jen grew up near Tornado Alley - in Iowa, but we thought we wouldn't have to worry about those things down in New Orleans; hurricanes are enough. Well, we were wrong. This is the second winter in a row that the New Orleans has been hit by tornadoes. This time, our house was dead center for the path.

The car on the left was parallel parked. When the storm sucked out our rear windshield and the front door of our house, including the frame of that door, the car was spun around to where you see it.

We live in a townhouse with two units. This is the other side of our building. Thankfully, the young lady who stays on the third floor there was out of town. Our side doesn't look quite as bad from the outside, but the interior betrays that the side wall has been pulled away from the roof and the main structure of the building.

The tornado hit around 3:05am Tuesday morning. We were sleeping, and awoken by our alarm system. As the rear french doors were being blown in and out, in and out, the alarm system picked sounded. We thought someone was breaking in, but the way the doors were moving, and the eerie sound made it seem like something paranormal was breaking in. Then there was a huge 'boom' as the house 'exploded'. It was the most terrifying 5 seconds of my life. Jen said she was trembling for the next hour. It was traumatic...

We are safe. Our house has some pretty serious structural damage, but insurance should cover everything. Several students from Tulane and UNO came out to help us during the day as we cleaned up our own mess, and helped some neighbors. We are blessed. Thank you for your love and prayers.

see pictures we took for the insurance company here.

see pictures of the spontaneous work day here. [I hope to have this link working soon.]

Here's a picture from across the street, and one house down on the same side. (Our 'corner bar' is no more. Thankfully, there were no injuries in our little area where the storm 'touched down'.)

Iraq

This was in the New York Times this week: two car bombs and a suicide bomber at Mustansiriya University in Baghdad. 70+ were killed; Doing ministry on the campuses of New Orleans is easy...