ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
September 1, 2022
Like many of you, I was really stunned and troubled to learn of a plaque that hangs at the entrance to the science building on the West Point campus, one of the military academies. This plaque says, “Ku Klux Klan,” and shows a hooded person holding a rifle. I’m sure someone will attempt to argue why it is appropriate to leave this image on the building, but to do so is to dismiss the power of symbol.
Scripture calls out the use of idols, suggesting they are dangerous. In most cases, an idol was just a carved stone or piece of wood. How dangerous is that? Yet the symbols we choose to surround ourselves with are the very things that shape our thinking, beliefs and priorities. What does it say that a symbol sits outside of a science building that implies one race is inferior to another? Does it not convey that hatred will determine the scientific method?
I’m sure there are some who never noticed the plaque. And still others who saw it, shook their heads in disbelief and then went on their way. But to suggest it has no real impact is to suggest that other symbols, like the very things the U.S. military uses to define itself, are really not important. You shape a community with the use of symbol and story, and the plaque is a powerful symbol and tells a clear story. The question to ask is whether it will shape the community toward its intended goal. I do not believe so.
O God, you revealed yourself in a pillar of fire, a burning bush, a cross and an empty tomb. Each of those symbols communicates an essential part of your character. Let us never be dismissive in regard to the images and emblems to which we give authority. Amen.
