Royal Family,

My heart is heavy in recent days as I look at the horrific act of violence that sparked this sustained time of protest and outrage. I too am outraged by the racism and injustice that has once again surfaced in this country that I love. We must do better. We must treat one another with love, care, and respect. 

As a Christian I am called to love. Period. We are called to love, to honor, and to respect one another – to carry one another’s burdens.

I do not know how to carry this burden for my friends and colleagues that have been directly impacted by racism. But I know this, Hope must be a place that is different. We must be a place that is holy – a place that is well known for respect, honor and mutual understanding. 

I would like to ask three things of the Hope family today. First, please pray for God to heal our country by moving in the hearts of men and women to treat each other as Christ has loved us. Second, please pray for the safety of all our citizens. Third, please pray for this community of Christian Higher Education that we would be all that God wants us to be.

I hope that even though we are separated due to the Coronavirus, we can come together by college, majors, departments, and groups and encourage one another and pray for one another – to really listen to each other. Hope should be the safest place in the world. It is up to us to make sure that it is. 

I love this institution. We look like heaven will – different voices, different cultures and different backgrounds all committed to the Lord and to making the world better because of the love of God in us. We are a truly International university. We must continue to learn from one another, value one another and protect one another.

My prayers are with you.

In Him,

Paul Alexander, Ph.D.

HIU President