Seeking common ground: A day with students and faculty from Georgetown Day School

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Last week I spent the day at Messiah University (where I have taught history for 23 years) with students, faculty, and the Head of School from Georgetown Day School (GDS), a prep school in Washington D.C. This is the fourth time I participated in GDS’s “minimester” course, “A View From the Other Side.” In this course history teachers Lisa Rauschart and Sue Ikenberry take students outside of the Washington D.C. “bubble” and introduce them to people who may not think about the world in the same way that they do .

At the end of the day, following some depressing conversation about the current presidential administration and the sad state of American democracy, GDS Head of School Russell Shaw asked me if it was possible to end their visit to Messiah with a note of hope. I looked around the classroom, referenced our full day of intellectual activity and conversation, gestured to the students and teachers as we all sat with our desks in a circle, and said “THIS.”

The GDS students came to Messiah not knowing what to expect. I hope they left believing that they had some things in common with their fellow citizens who embrace evangelical faith. I hope my students had the same experience. I know I did. The GDS students were smart, civil, and respectful. We need more of these kinds of face-to-face interactions in America right now. Lisa, Sue, and Russell are doing their part to make that happen.

Here are some pics:

Messiah and GDS students conversed over lunch in the Messiah dining hall. The GDS students were interested in how Messiah students brought their faith to bear on some of the most important moral, cultural, and political issues of the day.
We spent the afternoon learning from each other and seeking common ground as we talked about evangelical Christianity, politics, and American democracy. Several GDS students were interested in working toward creating spaces where deep conversation could take please between those with differing views. I told them that Messiah University was also committed to these kinds of conversations.
Outside the dining hall we bumped into my friend and colleague John Bechtold. He spent a few minutes talking about Messiah University based on his thirty-six years of teaching psychology.
I spent the morning talking about Messiah University’s history and religious heritage. The students had a lot of questions.
Messiah history majors Becca, Henry, and Bella were eager for conversation with the GDS students over lunch.
While the students conversed I joined the GDS faculty at another table in an effort to solve all the world’s problems. 🙂

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