A La Sierra Mother Writes to the Review
Dear Adventist Review Editor,
I was very distressed by the article you recently published about La Sierra University and the serious fall-out that has resulted in response to this article.
Perhaps it would be good and fair for you to also publish some of the testimonies from a Facebook site, La Sierra Loved Me, which spontaneously erupted in response to this huge and well-orchestrated negative campaign against LSU which you have now been pulled in to (perhaps unintentionally?).
Read the testimonies here.
Or perhaps, for the sake of fairness, you might just publish the link in affirmation of and respect for those whose hearts and lives have been changed by their time at La Sierra University, and who are feeling disenchanted (and in some cases so much more) with the church and the Review right now. How much and how many dear ones are we willing to lose in the fall-out? I am already seeing its impact.
Are we not being side-tracked from our mission as a church? If we are to be as the voice of one crying in the wilderness “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” why are we threatening to split over time issues connected with origins? Isn’t this something which only God can resolve for us when we reach the kingdom? After all this is something which had to have been given through Revelation (there being no human witnesses the first five days) and therefore should be treated as other interpretations in Scripture. Humbly. Certain of its truth, yet humble. [Have we so soon forgotten our beginnings and ‘The Great Disappointment’?]
Should we not notice the ‘almost’ silence on this theme in the
gospels? John 1:1-3 was all I could find (one of my favorite texts), reminding us that it’s really all about our Creator God who is also our Redeemer God. Who is Coming….and whose Coming we are called to proclaim! Let’s go back to God’s time with us on earth and see what Jesus prioritized and was willing to lose His life over. And what He chose to remain silent over. Perhaps here is our key to discovering what (if anything) is REALLY worth splitting the church over. Let’s instead spend this energy and effort on rediscovering and reclaiming our calling and mission and reason for being.
May God’s Spirit of love and wisdom guide us through this growing crisis.
Maranatha! Even so, come Lord Jesus!
Cheryl Harvey Webster is a grown mission-kid grown (from Africa), a pastor’s wife, former missionary, Helderberg/Andrews/LSU alumnus, and is currently working as a LSU staff-member.
