The Crux Weekly: Cuts to Research Funding, Scholarship Programs and Poor Scholarship Won’t Stop Antisemitism
Plus: Mental Health, Immigration and Getting in Your Feelings
Friends! Last week, funding was cut from many colleges and universities, international aid organizations, and departments across the government. And the removal of that funding sent ripples around kitchen tables and communities around the country. I was reminded that if we don’t have rhythms of reflecting on God’s Good News About Politics, I can feel disoriented, uncertain and afraid. Fortunately, the psalms show us that we can have those feelings but they don’t have to determine our reality. The Feelings Wheel Skillsheet and Write Yourself into Scripture are great resources to help you remain grounded amidst seas of change.
Here are 5 things we believe are worth your time:
SCRIPTURE AND PRAYER
The Feelings Wheel and Write Yourself Into Scripture are two resources that can help you grow in your emotional health, awareness and maturity while remaining grounded in the truths of God. Many of us are carrying around unprocessed anger, frustration, sadness and pain while also not creating spaces for joy, delight and pleasure. Some of this is because we don’t have the tools, the theology or both! We hope that these resources will help you to be present to yourself, God and others.
STATISTICS
Perils of Unscholarly Antimsemitism Reports
Peter Beinart is a leading Jewish voice on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and since October 7, 2023 his writing and research has been impeccable. And I don’t say that because I agree with every aspect of what he says but because he is willing to do the research. And much of the scholarship as he points out about anti-semitism on campus is opinion and ideology wrapped in academic tissue paper. He notes reports from Columbia, University of Pennsylvania and others while also pointing out the preeminent scholars and researchers that were left off because their opinions may have been contrary to the narrative these institutions and their donors were looking to push. It must be clearly communicated that if we don’t do our due diligence in educating ourselves and others, then misinformation, disinformation and plain lies can define our reality and bring true harm to vulnerable populations. Check out Beinart’s piece for Jewish Currents and follow him on Substack!
STORIES
Young girl takes her own life after bullying about immigration status
**TRIGGER WARNING** An 11-year-old girl took her own life in North Texas. Bullying about her family’s immigration status is the assumed cause and given the atmosphere that surrounds immigrant communities, this is not hard to believe. The fear and pressure that children and adults are feeling in our current political landscape is a reality that those of us who follow Jesus should empathize with, show compassion for, and seek justice to end. Matthew 25 and the teachings of Jesus are very clear about how we are to care for our neighbors and it is my deep longing that we would step up to do so. Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. You can reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or using the chat box at 988lifeline.org. You can also text "MHA" to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
Cuts to Scientific Funding and Research
The National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control are crucial to the function of our country’s health system and now, post-COVID pandemic, they will have fewer people and resources to do the work necessary to serve an increasingly diverse and difficult set of problems. This reality, alongside the appointment of the compromised and unqualified, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as the Secretary for Health and Human Services, set off alarm bells for current and future scientists, researchers and health professionals. It is my prayer, hope and longing that our resources be allocated towards the flourishing of all people and used as efficiently as possible. I share the author’s fear that these cuts are not moving us towards that goal but swiftly in the opposite direction.
USDA Cuts 1890 Scholarship to HBCU’s
The USDA has suspended a scholarship program that has helped Black students since 1992. The Second Morrill Act of 1890, also known as the Agricultural College Act of 1890, was a significant piece of legislation that expanded educational opportunities for Black Americans in the post-Civil War era. Part of this legislation included a scholarship program enacted in 1992 to support the efforts begun in 1890 to promote agricultural and mechanical arts education for Black students who were often excluded from opportunities. Today, the 1890 land-grant universities continue to play a crucial role in providing higher education opportunities for Black students and conducting important research and extension work in agriculture and related fields. As the Trump Administration attacks programs that were started to right historical wrongs, we pray for those who will lose opportunities and those seeking to preserve them.
As always, may God bless you as you seek to love and serve Him at the nexus of faith, education and politics. He is faithful!
– jonathan