Proud of where I come from

I started my job in archives this week. I thought I would like it, but I never expected to love it. A professor said to our class, on the very first day, that he found himself spending more and more time in the archives - he'd just hang out there. We all laughed and scoffed at him. Today, I'm jokingly mad at him because he was right.

Today I found out about the amazing things that happened at BU before I was even born. Nowhere in my history books did they really discuss the depth of the Vietnam War on the American homefron. I suppose it's because it was seen as an embarrassment (I may do a modern-day interpretation comparing it to our current war, but not today). I found out that Marsh Chapel, at BU, offered two servicemen sanctuary within its walls. They hd already served a tour of duty, as required by law through the draft, and they were to report for another tour (not mandated by the draft law). They sought sanctuary within the church, and the church gave it.

However, like the younger sister of Cleopatra, Arsinoe, they were dragged from sanctuary. (One actually surrendered peacefully, the other was forcefully removed by the FBI.) Like in ancient Ephesus, this was an outrage among the people. What does the term "sanctuary" mean anymore? This was immoral and unjust in the eyes of those who protested, and yet they kept vigil. They preached and exhorted; they sang; they offered witness.

This is my BU. This is where I find "The school of the Prophets." Martin Luther King Jr, Georgia Harkness, Anna Howard Shaw, and Howard Thurman were mighty amazing people, and their place in history should not be diminished, but I will never be them. I will probably never change the course of history nor be mentioned in the history books. However, I can take a stand against injustice. I can raise my voice to help out another person in need. I can help someone find sanctuary in the midst of chaos. This is the passion I find within the walls of my school, and that kind of passion cannot be taught.

I am proud to be a member of this school and belong to this legacy. I can't wait to see what comes from this year and the legacy we will leave behind for future generation of BU STH.