Nov. 30, 2001
Chaplains Give Comfort to Campus
Faiths Unite to Bring People Together after Sept.
11
By Greg
Licamele
GWs Board of Chaplains
meetings typify many gatherings around campus. From classes to basketball
games to offices, faiths come together, unknowingly
or not, to study, cheer, or work. In the weeks since Sept. 11, the members
of the Board of Chaplains have been called upon to provide strength,
comfort, and understanding for what some see as an attack not only on
buildings and America, but on faith.
Sept. 11 boiled down
to an attack on faith, faith in God, faith in goodness of people, faith
in our own personal sense of security that we live with day by day,
says Vineet Chander, Hindu/Buddhist minister. As representatives
and leaders of faith, but also servants of our various congregations,
we have been called to see if we can take from this a strengthening,
rather than a weakening of faith. We come together as a board and help
one another do that.
The board consists of faith
leaders from all walks of life: the Newman Catholic Center, Protestant
Campus Ministry, St. Marys Episcopal Church, St. Pauls Episcopal
Church, Hillel Jewish Center, Hindu/Buddhist Ministry, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Muslim Student Association, International
Protestant Ministry, and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. The board
meets regularly to discuss programming, such as the recent Religion
Week. The chaplains readily admit a new and renewed faith environment
existed this year for Religion Week and the activities within their
congregations.
Its been important
to realize the context that were in and how we can articulate
those things that unite us and that we share the commonalities that
are stronger than that which divide us, says Rev. Laureen Smith
of the Protestant Campus Ministry. Weve always had a strong
commitment to our sense of unity here, even though we have diverse traditions.
Smith says administrators and
faculty members have contacted her since Sept. 11 to seek advice on
how to meet the needs of students who might be struggling with the aftermath
of the terrorist attacks and subsequent challenges.
In many ways, the faculty
are the first contact with the students in dealing with this,
Smith says. Ive talked to a lot of faculty about the resources
available to them and some of the things they can say to their students.
Students have needed
some kind of care because they are away from their parents, they are
away from whats comfortable to them, says Sarah Raful of
Hillel. It is nice for me and the staff of Hillel to be that source
of support and comfort, whether they want us to be their older sisters
or parents, or someone to guide them in the right direction.
A sense of shared purpose permeates
Board of Chaplains meetings and many ministers see faith dialogues moving
well beyond their table.
I think we have had overwhelming
support on campus from the Board of Chaplains and from the GW community,
says Mohamed Salem Omeish, GWs Muslim chaplain, adding that his
congregation has been asked to discuss its faith on different occasions
since Sept. 11. We feel this is probably the first time there
has been an interest to know about Muslims and Islam and to understand
the community more and to see how each group can work together to preserve
the unity and the community.
The Board of Chaplains works
to preserve the unity of the community, but sometimes events such as
Sept. 11 challenge the ministers.
You have to be there
for the ones youre called to serve, says Father Rob Panke
of the Newman Catholic Center. [Only later do] the challenges
that youre struggling with on an interior level come out and then
you need to call someone.
Elder Argyle, of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, says people must move forward
and ministers need to help in that process.
I dont think you
let those things take over your life, he says. You cant
stop living and wait for things to happen.
Smith says theres no
normal to get back to and the challenge that confronts people of faith
is how to live amid the pain, misery, and difficulty that surrounds
the world now.
Thats always been
true of the human condition of all faiths and all times and all cultures,
Smith says. We are no different than anyone else all over the
world. Its about living in the midst of it, having hope amid hopelessness,
faith amid the doubt, having everything all of our traditions talk about.
Chander challenges people to
return to something higher than normal amid the doubt and fear in our
world today.
Lets not go back
to life as it was, but lets go to life as really it can be and
look within ourselves and help each other look within ourselves to find
the faith, he says. Maybe we can re-ignite the faith we
didnt even know was there or didnt know could be so strong.
Send feedback
to: bygeorge@gwu.edu