Notes from the President: Creating a pathway toward understanding and inclusion

Celebrating togetherness in faith 

We have a group of generous supporters of Loma Linda University Health we call the University Councilors. Numbering over 160 all together, they have been significant contributors to various projects on campus, including our Councilors Student Pavilion, and are currently committed to raising $10 million for the chapel in our new hospital. 

But even more significant than their financial contributions has been their support and advocacy for our organization in other ways. Each year they visit several places in the country for fellowship and camaraderie, holding get-acquainted events for alumni, patients, and friends of Loma Linda University Health. Judy and I try to join them for at least part of each trip and always enjoy these times together.

Several weeks ago we found ourselves in New York City for a weekend with the Councilors. As is our usual practice, Janya Mekelburg, our director of alumni and donor relations, looked for a local church in which to fellowship Saturday morning. She found one fairly close to our hotel in Manhattan and let them know we would be coming and would look forward to worshipping and sharing lunch together, followed by our usual presentation that we call “Loma Linda Comes to You.”  

When we arrived we found a fairly small church with an unusual name “Church of the Advent Hope.” We knew because the name was still engraved in German on the mantle above the entrance, reminding all of the initial development by the local German community, now largely gone. Located on a crowded side street with little parking, as much of New York seems to be, the church is now surrounded by much taller buildings. 

But the real treat began when we stepped inside. The friendly and open greeting by young people was followed by vibrant discussions in small groups, and then the church service itself. It was completely integrated — not just racially, but across ages, economics, lifestyles, cultures and backgrounds. There was bountiful and easy fellowship among the members and with us. One could not help but be drawn into a special relationship with each other and with God. While we met a few old friends from Loma Linda, we made new friends and marveled at the spirit of the place and the feeling of comfort with complete strangers. This acceptance and trust seem to be lost in the larger world of today.

After a delightful lunch and fellowship, we boarded our busses to return to our hotel. But the feeling from that time together lingered with the Councilors. What would it take for all places of worship to be like that? What about our larger communities, or our country itself? We have gone from considering this country to be a “melting pot” to being a “tossed salad,” celebrating our togetherness while still recognizing our differences. But lately we seem to be pulling back into our own “tribes” — the “us vs. them” mentality that stifles communication and fellowship. Information and news are spun to polarize feelings rather than understand and accept.

I am left wondering what it would take to recapture this sense of acceptance and trust. Can it only come from a shared worship experience, or could we find common ground around other themes or goals or beliefs? I know election years accentuate these differences, but the arguments on either side for various candidates, or ballot measures, at least here in California, leave one wondering if they are even talking about the same person or proposition. Somehow the group in New York found a common denominator in the human experience that became a foundation for their acceptance of each other and their fellowship together.  

This desire for understanding each other is a major goal on our campus. While acceptance of our diversity seems to come much more naturally to the younger generation, we actively create settings that give opportunity for sharing and understanding. Various events on campus have this as a stated goal. Mission trips together provide many teachable moments.

With exposure and interaction come understanding and acceptance. My hope is that all of us can push toward this common pathway of understanding and inclusion of others.

Richard H. Hart, MD, DrPH
President
Loma Linda University Health

Vision 2020 – The Campaign for a Whole Tomorrow