When we read Taylor’s newly ratified Multicultural Philosophy Statement, we were struck by how much it resembles another foundational Taylor document — the Life Together Covenant (LTC).
According to Rev. Greg Dyson, special assistant to the president for intercultural initiatives, the similarities are intentional, as the statement was meant to reflect the themes and concepts of the LTC.
“The Life Together Covenant mentions these concepts in general, but this statement becomes more of a magnifying glass,” Dyson said.
Interim President Paige Cunningham echoed this sentiment in an official statement, affirming Taylor’s commitment to living out the LTC by acknowledging and forgiving mistakes and celebrating each other.
Of the many themes the statement covers, we appreciate the intentional and humble way in which the statement addressed forgiveness and apologies for past mistakes.
“We acknowledge that our individual and community actions do not always demonstrate our commitment to treat one another as equal image bearers of Jesus Christ,” the statement reads. “When any of us falls short of obedience, God calls us to come before him in repentance and to be reconciled with one another. When we harm one another, we are expected to forgive one another, restore relationships, and make restitution.”
When entering into a conversation about a multi-faceted and complicated topic like diversity, it is important to remember that people have been hurt in the past. Mistakes have been made. Relationships have been damaged.
However, Dyson said that acknowledging these mistakes is an essential part of moving forward.
“We believe it’s very important to acknowledge potential mistakes but also acknowledge that it’s not just the mistakes of the past. We may make mistakes in the future,” Dyson said. “We want to make sure that we acknowledge whenever we hurt people — in the past or in the future — that we are human. We don't always get it right. But when we get it wrong, we should know what to do next. So that becomes part of the process. . . . The willingness to wrestle with the next is equally important.”
In other words — to borrow a phrase often used by Jeff Cramer, associate professor of computer science and engineering — do the next right thing.
However, doing the next right thing is not always easy. When we fail to live up to our Christian calling, it is easy to be paralyzed into inaction by reflecting too long on our mistakes.
When our mistakes keep us from moving forward, Paul encourages us to forget what lies behind as we move forward. After all, it is only through the grace of God that we are forgiven and are able to grow from our mistakes.
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).
This is not to say that we should forget our past mistakes entirely. We cannot change the past, but we can admit our mistakes and learn from them. It’s really all we can do.
We as a community need to do the next right thing. Some of us need to forgive, some of us need to show grace and understanding. Whatever it is, do the next right thing.
