Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Truth & Silence

In her story on the response to the national day of silence, NPR's Elaine Korry referred to the young people sponsoring the "day of truth" as Christian. I am wondering why she did not ask any of the students involved in the day of silence about their own faith convictions. In my experience, a number of young people who participate in the day of silence do so out of their own deeply held Christian convictions about justice, love and concern for the outcast and marginalized. To ignore that aspect of the story, especially when the so-called truth tellers' faith is named as central to the story, is to perpetuate the widespread misconception that "Christian" is synonymous with conservative. For most of the Christian young people I know -- including those who happen to be gay or lesbian -- on the national day of silence their silence itself speaks the truth.