Peacemaking Week, Jan. 16-22, was held virtually at Walla Walla University this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The week is dedicated to honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who have and continue to advocate for peace.
A unique feature of the week was the virtual Peace March on Monday, Jan. 18. The march drew together Walla Walla Community College, Whitman College, and WWU students and faculty to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., and consisted of virtual viewings of performances and pieces embodying Dr. King’s achievements, teachings, and influence. It was led by Margarita Banderas of Walla Walla Community College. Monday also featured an MLK CommUnity conducted virtually on YouTube. Other events included the Adventist Peace Fellowship presentation of “MLK Jr., and the Unholy Trinity: Liberating the Church from Racism,” on Sabbath, Jan. 16, and ASWWU Social Cultural Night on Thursday.
Timothy Golden, professor of philosophy and speaker at the MLK CommUnity, said in his address that “God is a God of justice and compassion. We live in a world in which there is a God who takes sides not because he doesn’t love people who oppress other people, but because oppressors don’t love Him.” Golden followed this with an appeal to practice the kind of Christianity that demands attention be given to the most vulnerable members of society and that reduces the space between what we say and what we do.
To watch the MLK CommUnity event, visit WWU Campus Ministries YouTube. To learn more about WWU’s commitment to diversity, visit wallawalla.edu/diversity.
Posted Jan. 21, 2021
