On Sunday, August 27, the day before CDSP begins its fall semester,\n white nationalists intend to hold a rally in downtown Berkeley, \nCalifornia, where the seminary is located. Although the campus is far \nremoved from the park where racist groups are planning to gather, \nstudents, faculty, and campus community members are planning to join \nother people of faith in protesting the display of bigotry and hatred. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Rev. Andrew Hybl \u201912, CDSP\u2019s new dean of students, says that the \nseminary will keep its chapel open on Sunday from 12 pm-4 pm for prayer \nand reflection. He is also working with the Rev. Phil Brochard, rector \nof All Souls Episcopal Parish in Berkeley, to organize those who want to\n process downtown to the site of the rally. Bishop Marc Andrus of the \nDiocese of California will help lead the procession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Participants in the procession can travel with the group as far as \nthe First Congregational Church of Berkeley, about a mile from campus, \nand then stay there in designated sanctuary space, return home or \nprocess to the park where the white nationalists are planning to rally, \nsays Hybl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday from 2-5 pm at CDSP\u2019s Denniston Commons, Janet Chisholm, a \nmember of All Souls, will lead a workshop in nonviolent resistance that \ncan help people prepare to resist the rally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJanet will help us learn centering practices and de-escalation \nskills that are useful in everyday life as well as in group protests,\u201d \nsays Hybl. \u201cWe want to deepen our understanding and commitment to \nnonviolence as practiced by Jesus and other teachers, and we want to \noffer students, staff, and faculty an opportunity for discernment about \ntheir participation in Sunday\u2019s events.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some students will feel most comfortable spending the afternoon in \nthe chapel, some will prefer to be at home, and others will join the \nfaith community response downtown, he says. \u201cI\u2019ve told students that all\n of us at CDSP will support their decisions about what is best and most \nfaithful for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is a dark time in our country, and a sobering way to begin the \nacademic year,\u201d wrote Hybl in a letter to students last week. \u201cYet, this\n is the current state of affairs in our world. I am grateful that as \nChristians, we can stand together to resist the evil that confronts us \nand walk instead in the light of Christ.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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