Vol. III, Iss. 9 - November 2005
The latest from Student Leadership University

Are You a Decision Maker?

Are you a decision maker? Are you one of those individuals that people look to when tough decisions have to be made? When the game is on the line, are you the one calling for the ball? More importantly, do you want to be?

At SLU, we learn that as leaders, you purchase your tomorrows today. History is replete with examples of those people that paid the cost and put in the time on the front end so that when the moment came for a leader to stand, they were ready to answer the call. Take Abraham Lincoln for instance. In his four years as president, Lincoln endured all of the cruel antagonism and severe criticism directed at him and yet he had determined himself to be one of the decision makers of his time. He not only tolerated the slander but overcame it to secure victory in the Civil War and preserve the nation - a most amazing achievement. In the process, he also reorganized the American military system, expanded the limits of presidential authority, abolished slavery, and renewed the spirit of patriotism in America (from Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T. Phillips, pg. 68). This is the influence one decision maker can have.

As a student of life and leadership, one of the most important lessons you can learn is to use the examples of others to help you build your own foundation of influence. At SLU 201 in Washington, D.C., we take you behind the curtain and explore the lives of these legacy leaders, both past and present, so you can grasp how they became the decision makers of their day. At SLU 201, you will hear from a current member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the JCF’s Director of Intelligence who will speak on the cost of war and the price of freedom. Additionally, you will sit in the chambers of the Supreme Court to understand that the battle for morality in this country has moved to the courts and into the hands of lawmakers.

You will also learn from men and women such as Dr. Richard Land, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and Dr. Bob Reccord, President of the North American Mission Board about the leadership tools necessary for national leaders. Attendees will also hear directly from leaders from the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branch of Government on their perspective of what the most important current political and social issues are as well as experience our nation’s most spectacular monuments, memorials, and museums such as the Smithsonian’s, the Holocaust Museum, and the newly finished WWII memorial. Finally, you will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider to honor those that have fought for the freedom of our nation and others.

Before you join us for SLU 201, ask yourself, what you can be doing now to make sure that when the game is on the line, you are the one the ball comes to? Simple things like watching the news, knowing what the Bible says on critical issues, and then finding a way to be a leader in your own community are all important. Do not allow yourself to be trivialized by forgetting the goals you set for yourself for this year. Be encouraged by the elected leaders who fight for a standard of excellence and integrity in this country. Are you ready to join us at SLU 201? We'll put you in the center court, throw you the ball, and let you take a shot. This is the position all decision makers want to be in.

Nikki Finch is the Program Director for SLU. Her leadership column appears several times throughout the year.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 brought with it the 2,077th death and loss of human life since the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan began. Since then, nearly 16,000 American troops have also been injured, with an additional 2,000 men and women who are overseas and have developed serious mental and psychological health problems. Personally, two close friends of mine with whom I went to high school and attended church have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Four of my close friends currently are stationed there. And as a result, I've done a lot of thinking about war.

Many scholars, pastors, politicians, ethicists, and news pundits have debated the question of just war in recent days. That is, is it ever right to go to war and to take human life? And under what circumstances could participation in warfare ever be justified, if ever? What is the role of the Christian in all of this?

If you have an answer, you've arrived at one much too quickly. This is an issue that requires much careful thought, and ultimately leaves more questions than answers. This issue prompts us as Christians to think deeply and thoroughly about our faith and the ways in which we relate to the world around us. We must not ignore the command to Love our God with all of our minds as well as our hearts. However, all too often, we have arrived at premature answers to this issue of justified war, without considering all the factors at stake.

On one side of the issue, one might argue that there really aren't any other alternatives to participating in just war, especially if the lives of the defenseless are at stake. Shouldn't we defend our neighbor by going to war? Isn't going to war the only way to protect ourselves? Or, on the other side, if none of us are God, how can it ever be right to take someone else's life? Didn't Jesus demonstrate a life of non-violent non-resistance? Aren't Christians supposed to act differently than the world?

This is a call to think. Do not be satisfied with easy answers that simply by-pass the problem instead of engaging it head on. We're talking about human lives, human souls, and real people dying. Don't settle for easy answers. If you engage this issue, you will find that it raises more questions than answers, but it is the Christian calling to use our minds to think carefully through those things that impact our world. Think! If we are to be salt and light in a dark world, then how are we different from the world? In the world that we live in, how can we live lives that most reflect God's ethical standard and the life of Christ? How exactly are we as Christians being salt and light?

It is not the purpose of this column to make you embrace any particular view or position on just war. Rather, it is the purpose of this column to rally Christians to think more deeply and thoroughly about the issues that face them, especially as they try to live out their existence as those who are in the world, but not of the world.

Luke Lin is a Master's degree student at Duke University and the Associate Editor for The Edge. His column on culture and Christianity appears every month.

I first began Student Leadership University when I was 13 years old. Going to 101 was fantastic, yet it was at 201 in Washington, D.C. that leadership truly became a priority in my life. There, my heart was burdened for the salvation of my country. Paul says it best in Romans 9 – "I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh."

It is not in my power to offer myself as a ransom for the sake of my country, for Christ has already shed his blood in the name of mercy and grace. But through the speeches of Dr. Richard Land, Dr. Jay Strack, the several senators, military personal, and all of the countless others who shared, I was very moved and was impressed by the need for God in our country. One quote that stood out to me was that of Dr. Bob Reccord – "America's wealth will never be found in its minerals and money, but in its young people." I have often thought that I had to wait until I was an adult to stand up for Christ in America, but SLU has greatly encouraged me to "stand up and be counted" today.

The last night of SLU 201 in DC, Dr. Jay opened the floor to us to ask any questions that we might have. There was one girl who stood up and asked, "How can I oppose abortion without coming across as hateful?" He responded by giving the example of his daughter who had volunteered at a local pregnancy center. At that moment, the Lord laid that ministry on my heart. Upon my return, I underwent fifteen hours of training to be a volunteer at our local pregnancy center. Currently, I am overjoyed to be ministering to people by volunteering in that area. God has blessed me so much through SLU! I have realized that Christ leads me through every moment of this journey I am on, and it has been such a blessing to have SLU as part of that journey.

Hannah Hardin is a graduate of SLU. She is a student from Dallas, Texas. Every month, we feature the story of an SLU graduate whose life has been impacted by SLU in significant ways. Have an SLU story? Send it to us at edge@studentleadership.net