Dear alumni/ae and friends,
In this post-election season, I’ve been reflecting on these words from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., from his 1963 book of sermons, Strength to Love. King writes: “I would be the last to condemn the thousands of sincere and dedicated people outside the churches who have labored unselfishly through various humanitarian movements to cure the world of social evils, for I would rather a man be a committed humanist than an uncommitted Christian.”
King challenges his Christian readers about the sincerity of their commitment to their faith for the work of justice. And he also reminds his readers that humanists, along with atheists and “nones,” also have moral and ethical responsibilities to help cure the world of social evils. In other words, it will take all of us to create the world we want to see; a world where human dignity and human flourishing are possible for every single person.
Dr. King’s words give me hope about the possibility of working across differences for the common good. And as I greeted and fellowshipped with the numerous alumni and friends who returned to VDS for Reunion this year, that hope blossomed into joy. In one room were people from every age range, every possible theological position, and every different characteristic that makes up the fullness of the human experience. All of us had one important thing in common: a commitment to justice that has been strengthened by our various connections to VDS.
We don’t know what the next few years will hold, but of this one thing we can be sure: thoughtful individuals, committed to justice and full human flourishing, can change the world.
Best,
Yolanda Pierce, Ph.D.
Dean
Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair
Professor of Religion & Literature
