Inspiring Colleagues

Today, 8/30/17, was the 242nd day of 2017.  As a palindromic day, I had high hopes for an inspirational day.  And, as fate would have it, one of the darker moments of my day provided me with my most inspirational moment as well.  This week, people claiming to be people "of God" are "preaching" in the heart of Penn's campus, on College Green.  The hate coming out of their mouths is widespread and attacks almost anyone who walks by (even I felt their wrath as they claimed I am fat because I do not keep my wife in the kitchen and, instead, eat at McDonald's).  My volunteer task (yes, this is how I spent my lunch hour) was to observe the scene and ensure that the tenets of Open Expression were being upheld.  It was not easy, but I stood there for an hour, trying to make sure their rights were preserved and that they followed the rules (which, they are masters of doing, to try to instigate action that they can create lawsuits from).  What is inspiring about that, you ask?  Well, I also got to observe my amazing colleagues from VPUL, the Office of the Chaplain, and Penn Police. They diligently worked to ensure that students had a an outlet for a counter, positive activity and, when necessary, to provide the counseling for students upset by the scene.  Their calm, caring actions during this time of hate and chaos inspired me to make it through the hour (and my hour tomorrow) and to respond likewise in the future.  As I head for bed, I am inspired to consider how blessed I am to have such amazing colleagues at Penn, and to pray that this hateful group limits its visits to our campus.