Support Via Love, Goodness, and Puppies

Last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearings with Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Dr. Christine Blasey Ford were difficult for many people across our nation. Regardless of one’s personal opinions of the hearings, the public discourse caused millions of survivors of assault to be reminded of their past pain and trauma. We realize this also includes women and men on our campus.

We may not be aware of the pain and hurt that many of our fellow classmates, colleagues, or friends are silently enduring as we walk across campus this week. However, we want to acknowledge the pain that is happening to so many women and men as they relive past trauma. We recognize that this is a personal, deeply emotional, and traumatizing reality that many people endure. Many people are feeling unseen, undervalued, ashamed, stuck, or without hope. We see you. We believe you. And we are here to support you in your journey on campus.

The ancient scriptures remind us that there is a God who mourns with those who mourn, a Divine Being who places immeasurable worth and value upon each daughter and son, and the One who always hears the cries of the broken hearted and lifts up the weary. This God of Love is as close to us as our very breath and promises to pursue us with love, mercy, and goodness.

At the Spiritual Life Center we have a religiously-diverse group of chaplains willing to listen to you, lament with you, and pray for you. In our Health and Counseling Center, we have professionally trained counselors ready to journey with you as you process past trauma. We welcome you to utilize these confidential services.

We also encourage everyone to care for their souls. For some of us, it might mean a break from social media, a walk in nature or a long jog, a nap, a new spiritual practice, or cuddling with a puppy. And let’s be honest, cuddling with puppies is exactly what most of us need every day. Therefore, we invite you to Doggies in the Dell and Blessing of the Animals this Thursday, October 4th from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.

Finally, we invite all students and staff to participate in the upcoming Domestic Violence Awareness Vigil on the evening of Thursday, October 18th in Snidow Chapel as a space to pause, reflect, and honor survivors of assault.

May we become a campus that continues to listen to one’s story, to journey with each other, and to seek the flourishing of all God’s beloved children.

The Staff of the Spiritual Life Center