I Protest!

JOHN P. HEALY

We hear a lot about protest and demonstration these days. There is an emphasis on activism—the dynamic desire to change and improve the human situation. But all too often peaceful gatherings turn into violent protests, and the meaningful goals are lost in the cries of hate. Hate is not destroyed by inciting hate. So an individual may well wonder what he can do if in his university there seems to be only resistance to right student demands and verbal confrontation is unproductive.

To explore this situation, it is helpful to look at Biblical history—a history full of radical people protesting for the truth. Moses saw the injustice of the Hebrew people's bondage in Egypt. His first attempt at righting the situation, however, proved not only impulsive but futile. His killing of the Egyptian (see Ex. 2:11–15) failed to gain the desired end and placed his own life in danger. Moses had to find a deeper, more effective means of protest in the calm of the desert. And look at what his return to Egypt accomplished—a complete liberation of a people through the guidance gained from divine impulsion!

Daniel, another Old Testament figure, fought for religious freedom. He not only accomplished change nonviolently but gained the respect of men.

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