What Guides Us

"Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Col 4:6 NRSV)

The free expression, one to another, of our joys, hurts, victories, challenges, dreams, goals, and needs strengthens our filial bonds with the students, staff, faculty, contractors, and visitors who share our journey at Pepperdine University. As we engage, we must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger—because anger does not produce God's righteousness (James 1:19). We agree with Quaker author Douglas Steere who says that "to 'listen' another's soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another."

"But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it." (1 Cor 12:18-26)

Universitas is a Latin word which means the whole corporate body, or the whole community. This is the word from which our English word "University" is derived. Pepperdine is one; we are one large community of human beings who have agreed to live, learn, and grow in a faith-filled academic environment. God has created each of us uniquely to fulfill a role in making the whole better. As we better understand our roles and come to appreciate the roles of other Waves we create a more excellent and resilient whole. As Paul preaches in Galatians 3:28, our human-created boundaries are meaningless. We all belong; we are all here for such a time as this.

"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:36-40).

In an effort to entrap Jesus, the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees, asked Jesus which was the greatest of the commandments. The importance with which Jesus placed loving our neighbor (second only to loving our Creator) cannot be overemphasized. Our neighbors are not just those who vote, worship, look, talk, or love like us; our neighbors are all of humanity. This means that we put each other first, that we inculcate an "other-oriented" ethos, pathos, and logos, which is what Jesus modeled. Philippians 2:3 advises us to "do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves." If we each consistently strive to put the other first, our various needs will be met more often than not.

So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:2-6 NRSV)

There is no denying that we live in an ever-changing and increasingly complex world. Thriving in such environments requires the ability to be agile, to be flexible in approach—just as the friends of the paralytic man were in the scripture above. This Agility requires our willingness to grow (1 Corinthians 13:11): to see old things in new ways, to see new things, and to try on different ways of thinking. We are most agile when, as Dr. Ira Jolivet, Emeritus Associate Professor of Religion, wrote, we "empathetically imagine perspectives and worldviews other than our own." It means following Paul's example (1 Corinthians 9:19-23) to alter our approach, being willing to hear, consider, and empathize with the stories of all of our neighbors so that we might win as many as possible. This is what humility looks like in action.

"Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Phillippians 4:8)

Nothing "just happens"; intentionality is an integral part of making progress along any continuum. In the scripture above, Paul is imploring readers to exercise the spiritual discipline that is required to maintain a positive-oriented mindset. Even in times of rancor, anger must not be met with anger. We need to demonstrate a high level of emotional intelligence. Like Jesus, we must seek to remain "on call" despite opposition or harsh treatment. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Love is the most powerful force in this world. "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8) We must daily make up our minds to love: our God, ourselves, our neighbors, and our Pepperdine family.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2 NRSV)

Today we face reality, a reality that is informed for better and for worse by our yesterdays. However, we cannot create a better tomorrow without allowing our minds to be transformed by God along this journey. While we have faced, currently face, and will continue to face challenges, we must keep our eyes on the prize of the myriad visions that we seek to create. As we squarely and fearlessly examine today's reality, we need to dream big. What can tomorrow be? What should tomorrow be? Jesus taught us to pray boldly that Jesus taught us to pray, "your [God's] kingdom come, your[God's] will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10 NIV) What if we, at Pepperdine, imagine together with us a community of belonging that mirrors the in which we form that Revelation 7:9-10 vision: "…I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language," standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. And they were shouting with a great roar, standing before God, worshipping God together, ever grateful for God's grace, mercy, and salvation.

"Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!"

How can we combine our talents to create a campus community, even a world, in which all of us "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages (Revelation 7:9, NRSV)" praise God in our unique ways while living, learning, and working together to create and sustain a haven of academic excellence for all who come through our gates?

"…'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'" (Matthew 25:35-40)

We are here to serve—period. The various gifts that we each have are for humanity. The intellect that many of us are developing is to benefit others. The scholarship in which we engage is to make the world better. The conversations that we have are to edify our brothers and sisters. The service projects and trips in which we engage are to help the world. However, in all service, for it to be meaningful, we must not do so from a place of perceived superiority, but ratherdo so from a place of cultural humility. This means that we cannot serve others until we allow God's grace and humility to soften our ears and hearts, to enable us to inquire, hear, and process what others need and what they desire. less we cede our place of privilege to hear what it is that they need and what they desire. It is through our service to people in spiritual, mental, financial, physical, and psychological need that we best praise God.