H= (Hope Equals)

New student organization commits itself to peace in the Middle East

by Micah Schuurman

A new club has begun this year at the Seminary. Under the guidance of Christian Reformed World Missions, the club Hope Equals will seek to raise awareness and do advocacy relating to the Arab/Israeli conflict.

A few months ago, World Missions put together a focus group consisting of a variety of young adults in the Christian Reformed Church. They provided the focus group with a number of major issues in the world today and asked the members of the focus group to indicate which issue interested them the most. Unanimously, the focus group chose the Arab/Israeli conflict.

World Missions responded to this overwhelmingly unified statement of interest by creating Hope Equals. In this endeavor World Missions has partnered with the Office of Social Justice, CRWRC and a number of other organizations.

As the name hints, Hope Equals is about working towards hope as equals with a common goal. Given the wide variety of deeply entrenched opinions relating to the Arab/Isreali conflict this is no easy task. Division, anger, frustration and alienation are dangers that lurk around every corner. But, Hope Equals will do its best to remain as neutral as possible. In short, Hope Equals is neither pro-Israel nor pro-Arab. Rather, it will seek to be pro-peace and pro-hope.

Practically speaking, the short-term goals of Hope Equals involve setting up clubs on campuses across the United States. Those running the Hope Equals have begun the process of setting up clubs at Calvin and a number of other schools with hopes of attending the Urbana Conference with the hope of developing an even broader coalition of groups.

The club at Calvin Seminary is the first of the clubs to open under the guidance of World Missions. However, the Middle East Club at Calvin College has been in action for a number of years and will likely work closely with the club at the seminary.

The Hope Equals club at Calvin Seminary is currently thinking of ways to creatively discuss the Arab/Israeli conflict. The leaders are already planning to invite speakers to the campus and show movies. Other plans are on the table including field trips to Dearborn and Chicago to meet with Muslims and Jews, debates, demonstrations and even trips to the Holy Land.

To express questions, ideas or concerns relating to this club, contact Micah Schuurman.

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