Glen Darwin Camp died in July. He was eighty at the time, and left a legacy that was admirable. His work included seven years as a policy director for the state department in Europe (where he met his wife Elly) and teaching, ending up as a professor of international relations and political science at Bryant University in Rhode Island, where he served for thirty-one years.
He was a social firebrand, an activist of the first water. He helped establish several justice oriented activities at the First Unitarian Church where he and his wife were members. As one might expect, he ended up being academic advisor for the progressive Democratic club on campus.
What I particularly want to hold up for reflection, however, was something the president of the university mentioned in his eulogy at Glen’s memorial service, which we held at the university yesterday. The Young Republicans were having difficulty finding a faculty adviser. In fact it seemed they couldn’t find a faculty adviser. Several of them recalled how Dr Camp engaged in political debate, particularly, it seems his kindness, and his assumption of basic decency on the part of those with whom he disagreed, frequently vehemently. They approached him, he didn’t hesitate, and ended up serving as faculty adviser to the campus Republican club for many years. Many years.
These are hard times. We’re engaged in a political struggle within our American culture, with the wind at the backs of those who are calling for a hard right shift. I’ve used harsh language to describe this. I consider this a terrible direction and I believe it is taking us toward policies that will be harmful to our country, to our citizens, and, with our military power, harmful for the rest of the world, as well.
I like to think my opinions are informed.
And, I hope as we engage these great questions, the hard questions, we all, myself included, can pause every once in a while and think of Glen. There was no doubt where his politics were. There was no doubt what he saw as harmful, and he spoke out, and he acted as best he could.
A lesson for all of us.
And, every step of the way was marked with generosity of spirit, and kindness, and a desire to include everyone as part of the family.
Which I consider to be the foundation of contemporary liberal theology, we are radically interdependent, we are all caught up in this mess together.
And, if we hope to make our way through, even as we need to engage fully, we need to recall the urgings of the heart, to remember, we’re all in this together.
And, that means all of us.
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