Nearly 8 years ago, my two sons were arrested together while they were both attending a Christian Liberal Arts University. There was a female there who was in charge of Student Life (or something like that), whose name will not be printed.
She was instrumental in causing some pretty major problems in, not only my family, but many others as well. This is a FACT and not an accusation.
This is a letter I wrote to her almost a year later as I saw her and other VERY influential leaders at the school pick lives off one by one.
This letter is reprinted only because I am still seeing fallout from this era. And I wish that there were those who TRULY cared about each student and not their own political position at the university.
Read on:
Dear _______________,
This letter has taken me almost a year to write because I needed to make sure that my heart and attitude was right before I attempted to pen my feelings and views on this. But the more time that goes by, the more desperate I am to let you know how you can and do affect lives. So it is with a heart of truth and a fair amount of trepidation, that I send you this letter. To refresh your memory, let me recap the beginning. One year ago, my two sons were arrested in Ellensburg, WA on a marijuana possession charge. This was one of the more heartbreaking things this mother has had to go through. Let me say it this way… you never look down into your baby’s eyes and imagine him or her in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. But it happened, I can't change it, and I still love my sons. When the news reached your office, you got the unpleasant duty of facing these boys with their offense and their consequences. In your first communication with me, you couldn’t say enough about how wonderful my youngest son was… but it certainly went downhill from there. He understood why he had to leave the dorms and was quite okay with it – he knew he really messed up. He had expressed to us that he was glad he got arrested and that it was a wake up call for him…. and it has been. After he vacated the dorms, in an effort to be restored to the school’s good graces, he set up an appointment with you, which he missed. He felt quite badly and was very apologetic to you and tried several times to set up another appointment, knowing that it was at your convenience, not his, because of his missing the first. At that point you cut him off. That was it. No follow up, no restoration attempts... you were done with him. Fortunately, my sons are from a very strong heritage of men of faith. Men that had to go through the tests of fire that the Word says we will have to withstand. But our family has followed the Lord for several generations. I am not worried about them and your harsh effect on them. Unlike many others, they had a soft place to fall. Here is the primary reason I am writing you: I am deeply concerned about your judgment without mercy on other young people who have not had the strong upbringing and support that my sons have been privileged to have. What about the students that are new to the faith and they read the Bible and it says that we are to restore one another in love? When they make a poor judgment and face you, what they get is a sound beating and then you turn your back on them. How does that show Christ's love? What about the student from an abusive 'christian' home? They come and find that we are no more loving here than at home, so they walk completely away from the faith.... and find another 'tribe' that will love them. The NU Community handbook is filled with scripture about burden bearing, love, reconciliation and restoration, The current NU methods have shown the students quite the opposite. Rather than restoration, they are marginalized....out of the 'club'.... no longer part of ‘the chosen’ at N*******t. What does this say to them, the rest of the student body and the world that watches us? It says that Christ is not forgiving - he's judgmental. Christ is not loving - he's stern and hostile if you cross him. God did not send His Son to die for all of us, just the ones that follow the rules. I have seen young people come to N*******t who are wounded so acutely, that one little 'flick' will send them over the edge. We, as mature Christ followers are to be the ones who put our spiritual arms around them and support them until they can walk on their own.... not kick them while they are down. Bottom line: We are to be the face of Christ to the world and it is no different within the NU community. If you treat these 'almost over the edge' students the way
you treated my sons, they will go over the edge with no one to notice. They are much more likely to leave the faith because someone who was more spiritual than them and supposed to love them, dealt harshly and rancorously with them. I don't write this from the seat of judgment, just from my heart and the corner of the bookstore where I see and hear far more than I sometimes want to. I also will not write this secretly, which is why I am copying some of the people who need to know the effect this can have on the precious people who entrust their hearts to us here at N*******t University. I understand that this will upset and possibly alienate you and those who read it, however, I am willing to take that chance rather than ignoring this strong conviction to write this letter. I am not asking for a response from you, except that you have a change of heart in dealing with the people who you are serving.
.......Well, I copied the president, the provost and a few others and NOTHING came of it except some shunning. We had a meeting and she threatened a lawsuit..... not sure what for, but she later phased out, but not before she caused more devastation.
This is not a bitter diatribe - but just shows how one person can cause ripples in so many lives by the cruelty of not loving.
That's all. I'm tired.
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