The Rev. Al Herring teaches Hill community how to shape our 'common humanity'

Tuesday, September 22 marked the inaugural event for the 2009-10 academic theme “A Common Humanity,” as Hill welcomed The Rev. Alvin Herring, the CEO and founder of an organization dedicated to teaching students to form stronger communities by embracing diversity. All students spent the morning and afternoon in a workshop, during which they engaged in activities designed to increase their awareness and help them embrace their differences.

Later in the evening, the Rev. Herring addressed the entire Hill community in the Center For the Arts. Jared Feinman ’10, a member of Hill's Diversity Committee, introduced the Rev. Herring. He said to his classmates, “After the fast-paced, dynamic, and fun workshop today, I want to say that I am proud of each and every one of you. I am proud that we have explored the meaning of diversity and the power of community.” He continued, “ I am proud that we have experienced how we all are different and we all are the same. I am proud that we now know we are all in this together.”

The Rev. Herring engaged the packed auditorium with high energy and enthusiasm, giving an insightful talk peppered with life experiences to serve as examples of how one person can bring change. Touching on this year’s theme, the Rev. Herring told the students the way to shape this common humanity is to “remember the work we accomplished today [in the workshop]. You hung in there and were committed to working together.” He said of the students’ willingness to open up during the workshops, “You heard things today that you never heard before, from different people.”

A Common Humanity: Hope, Love, Justice, Mercy

To achieve a common humanity, the Rev. Herring said there are four kinds of work we must master: hope, love, justice, and mercy.

“Hope is different from optimism,” he remarked. While he did say it was good to optimistic, optimism “won’t change the world.” Rather, we must “invest a significant amount of hope in ourselves and in our relationships.” He said we must be hopeful “even when things might not work out” because hope is “based on faith.”

“Hope is built on a bright golden thread that is knitting us together as one common humanity,” the Rev. Herring exclaimed with enthusiasm. “We are changing the world for the better as we become masters at weaving this golden thread together.”

He then instructed each person in the room to touch the shoulder of his or her neighbors, and when this was done, “instantly the energy in the room changed.” With the audience applauding and his powerful voice filling the room, The Rev. Herring exclaimed, “There is nothing we can’t do if we have hope! No challenge we can’t overcome. Don’t give up hope!”

Love, the Rev. Herring observed, is a term we use too often; however, it is the “most powerful force in the universe” as all great things “happened because of love.” At the root of it all, he said, “Love at its best is about service - the good you can do for someone else.” The Rev. Herring challenged the audience to “put yourself out there on behalf of someone else.” He added: “Serve someone and then you really will have the privilege of understanding love.”

When talking about justice, The Rev. Herring talked about the plight in our country – homelessness, joblessness, poverty, and the health-care related issues – that are affecting more people than most even realize. He noted, “If we want to build harmony, a common humanity knitted together, we have to be come committed to justice.” He acknowledged that many individuals in the room might think these issues are “too complex” and he or she cannot do enough because of a “sense of fear or hopelessness.”

Commanding the room’s attention, the Rev. Herring thundered, “You have everything to do with making this world just! There is a hurting world waiting for you.”

“Mercy is the toughest thing for us as human beings to master, ” stated the Rev. Herring. While he admitted it is tough for someone to say he or she is sorry, he acknowledged it is even tougher to say “I forgive you.” He said: “We have to each get better at giving each other mercy. We need to reconcile, repair, and renew.”

He then asked each person in the room to turn to his or her neighbor and say “I am sorry” and to then say “I forgive you” to illustrate that these simple words are not as difficult to say as people perceive.

The Rev. Herring concluded, “If we are going to build a common humanity -- be a better community, town, country, world -- we have to have hope, demonstrate service, have a commitment to justice, and seek and offer mercy!”

Following a standing ovation, The Rev. Herring met with sixth form students and faculty in the Boyer Gallery for a reception.