I was troubled on Tuesday after Shelby Coates’ Chapel speech.

During her speech, Coates quoted 1 Corinthians 15:33 “bad company corrupts good morals” and proceeded to expound on the idea that we need to cut loose from our friends that are “dead weight.”

As sons and daughters of the King, I feel that we have a responsibility to our brothers and sisters around us even if they don’t act like us, talk like us, think like us or necessarily even hold our same values. The Bible makes it clear that as a body we are responsible for one another’s well being. Now, there’s no doubt that we need to be careful who we place our heart and our confidence in.

I should be careful to seek advice and counsel from people who I know are diligent in prayer and have my best interest at heart. Yet, this does not mean I break away from everyone that doesn’t give 100 percent to me.

As Christians, we are all called to ministry and this ministry will often entail we give to or spend time with someone that doesn’t necessarily give back. In her speech, Coates used the example of Christ as someone who surrounded himself with people that encouraged him. Yet, quite to the contrary, it seems from Scripture that more often than not Christ was discouraged by the apostles’ lack of faith and understanding.

Christ’s mission on Earth was to give; he did this by investing in the lives and well being of all those around him and ultimately changed the world through this selfless love.

Christ’s example of love and compassion defies our American sensibilities of independence, ambition and success, and we as Christians have pledged to emulate him even if that entails discomfort or sacrifice for us. Now, it is possible that I misunderstood her intention, but this is how I interpreted Coates’ speech.

Nathaniel McKenzie
sophomore political science major from Albuquerque, N.M.