Crazy Times in Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina feels like the center of the race and religious relations universe. Within the last month 4 stories have made international news headlines:

- A man shot and killed his 3 Muslim neighbors in Chapel Hill
- Dean Smith, legendary basketball coach and no-nonsense pusher of the envelope in the area of racial equality in a southern state, died at the age of 83
- Just down the street at Duke the University announced they would use the bell tower of their chapel to announce Muslim call to prayer each Friday afternoon, only to change their minds that same week due to serious pressure, the main megaphone being wielded by Franklin Graham.
- The Wainstein report was released, an investigation into an athletic/academic scandal involving UNC athletes’ involvement in fraudulent classes in the African-American Studies program.
- And another local story - students are demanding that Saunders Hall - named after William Saunders, confederated colonel in the Civil, a UNC trustee, and one of the chief organizers of the KKK - receive a name change.

We work with international students. We are a Christian ministry. How are we to respond, in light of the gospel, as ministers of the “good news”, as ones who want to be like Jesus? I don’t have the answers yet, maybe later.