TH6.1: Balaam’s Ass: An Open Letter to the Commmunity

[Balaam’s Ass was the original name of Union’s student journal. It refers to the unnamed ass in Numbers 22.21-35, who persists in communicating a vision even when Balaam refuses to hear. In the hopes that our community will hear with a little more clarity and care, we invite one graduating student each month to share her or his vision of what the Seminary can be, and what it must do to become so. May we have ears to hear, and eyes to see, better than Balaam. – Eds.]

BY ANGELA MOSCHEO ESCUETA

I write on the opening night of the Peace Conference, and I am struck by how many times I have heard different people comment on Union’s privilege in hosting such an auspicious event. I agree, it is quite a privilege. However, I believe Union’s legacy allows for such an honor. I cannot help but wonder if so many would have commented on Union’s position if this conference had been held at the pinnacle of the school’s reputation as THE place to be for sound theological education and practical exposure to social justice. Has that time passed? What are we as an institution doing to ensure that the legacy of today allows for the Peace Conferences of tomorrow? And whose responsibility is it to secure Union’s place in the future?

I ask these questions as I begin my third year and look back on the whispers and roars of financial doom that haven’t quite quelled and on the wolf that is Columbia who continues beating on our doors (and knocking down our walls). I am reminded regularly that Union has a pub but no campus minister, space open to the public but no place for commuters, and gourmet lunches but no required direct-service learning component for social justice efforts (aside from some field education placements). I look also on the departures of so many beloved faculty members who helped create Union’s reputation and wonder if we are doing nearly enough to continue the work they began. How much voice have we used as students to demand diversity in the faculty searches and excellence in standards for our classmates?

The Poverty Initiative, including community education and field-work opportunities, is a brilliant step towards cementing Union’s reputation as an institution of social change. A well-matched nexus of students, faculty, board and community members, the Poverty Initiative challenging Union to social engagement on a scale not seen in quite some time. The Ministerial Formation Caucus and newly-formed Ministerial/Spiritual Formation Resource Team show real promise in together providing much-needed resources and encouragement for groups and individuals in a Seminary setting severely lacking pastoral support.

What would it look like to have more direct-service opportunities, perhaps even trips (beyond the J-Term) like a working Spring Break or a regular commitment to a specific agency or service group? Or what would it look like to incorporate more physical activity into our entirely theo-spiritual curriculum – camping trips each semester, hiking excursions or even a runners group, for example? I welcome more candid, casual conversation and continued interest in the world beyond the Quad and even the City. I envision new ways to build community while working to insure Union’s place in the future, and I challenge each of you to join me.

Angela Escueta is a third-year MA student.