Message from President Connell – Response to Current Events

With a Broken Heart…

Our hearts are broken, our spirits are vexed, and yes, we are angry. We have witnessed yet another tragedy – a human being, created and loved by God, dying. Dying with a knee on his neck, crying for relief. We have witnessed another senseless murder of an African-American male. It was George Floyd last week. Before that it was Ahmaud Arbery…and Tamir Rice…and on and on.

Eastern Nazarene College affirms that in order for all human life to matter, black lives must matter. Black people, people of color, are made in the image and likeness of God – made with gifts, with talents, with genius, with value. Throughout the history of our nation, our brothers and sisters have systemically been and continue to be oppressed. We renounce this as sin. We lament the resultant suffering. We repent of any way in which we have been complicit. To our students and alumni of color, know that we value you, your safety, and your very life. Your story is an important part of the ENC story.

To our very diverse college community, our compassionate and loving community, we acknowledge your anger. Anger is the price we pay for paying attention to such outrageous acts of injustice. And righteous anger is what compels us to do the hard work of justice and reconciliation.

Eastern Nazarene College has committed itself to be a diverse community that values God’s unique creation lived out in the beautiful and complex stories of each person and each culture. We commit to be a place that continues to wrestle with and address the hard issues of our society, to be a place where we hear each other’s stories and build meaningful friendships, and to be a place that educates students to work toward justice and holiness. Because of these commitments, we seek anew to be faithful to our calling to bring about the redemptive purposes of God as articulated in the Lord’s prayer. Lord, help us be a community that never stops seeking and struggling for your Kingdom to come, your will to be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Lord, have mercy.

Jack Connell
President
Eastern Nazarene College