Dear Faculty, Staff, and Fellow Students,
My name is Megan Koontz, and I am a senior communication major here at John Brown University. I am the Managing Editor this year for The Threefold Advocate. It is truly an honor to write, report and inform the campus of events and news going on around the world and in the Siloam Springs community. I speak for the rest of the staff when I say that we look forward to serving you in this way. I just want to remind you, however, that community, learning and engaging with culture often comes with a price: division.
Community is God-breathed—a command we find countless times throughout Scripture. It is valuable and necessary for all believers to experience and be a part of community. However, we are each individuals with a unique lens through which we see the world, with personalities unlike those around us and with opinions that maybe not everyone in our community will agree with. This is normal—this is expected. As we curate conversations on campus through the words we write and stories we tell this year at the Threefold, we hope you will recognize that we are all broken people. I hope you will respect your differences and relish your similarities, loving one another. Through your love for one another, those around you will see the love of the Lord.
Additionally, learning is valuable. We are all seeking an education in order to learn, grow, change and expand our perspectives and ideas. However, when gaining knowledge, pride can often creep in. When our worldview is constantly expanding, it’s easy to look down on others who are not changing in the same ways and we deem them as close-minded or ignorant. My hope is that we, as a campus, can always remain teachable, willing to listen well to those around us and that we never grow too prideful to hear different opinions. I hope that if you read something you don’t agree with, you will choose to learn from it.
We as Christians were never created to exist in protected, manufactured environments. Instead of creating comfortable environments where we are surrounded only by things that bear the Christian label, we are called to live in the world. As we use our articles to encourage JBU students, faculty and staff to engage with cultural issues and concerns, we recognize this may cause discomfort. But that’s ok. We want you to challenge yourself and truly increase your awareness of how you can better serve the world around you.
We hope you grow through the articles and opinions you read in the Threefold. We hope you find joy in the stories we tell, find hope in the inspiring students that we profile and find hope in the world knowing that the Kingdom is still to come. No matter what is happening in the crazy, beautiful world we live in, something far greater exists for all who believe.
I look forward to being your Managing Editor this year! Please reach out if you ever have questions, concerns, or opinions you would like to share with campus! Grace and Peace,
Megan C. Koontz