The Art of Healing

In spring 2003, racial graffiti was found scrawled at several sites around the campus of Bethel University. Other symbols of hate targeted students of color. Shock waves coursed through Bethel, an institution founded on the inclusive love of Christ and on academic excellence.

One of the incidents was prosecuted, and overt racism was isolated and quickly dealt with. But the incidents left students, faculty, and leaders wanting a way to talk back—to permanently repudiate all forms and degrees of racism, and recommit to Christian unity.

Last year, Bethel celebrated its first Reconciliation Day, which held great meaning for many in the Bethel community. This year, Bethel celebrated its second annual Reconciliation Day on February 16 with the installation of a massive mural constructed by art professor Dale Johnson and student artists. The mural, “Remember. Believe. Act.” is a powerful three-piece commissioned work that was dedicated at a morning chapel service and now is permanently installed in the AC Lounge, a popular commons area on the campus of the College of Arts & Sciences.

The Reconciliation Mural

A collaborative execution by Professor Dale Johnson and students Janell Draper, Blake Keath, and Emily Villaseñor.

Artists’ narrative: These three artworks, commissioned by the Bethel Anti-Racism and Reconciliation Commission, were created to remind the community of the painful racist acts of spring 2003 and to confirm our belief that racial harmony can exist. Actions are still necessary to heal the wounds and celebrate racial diversity on Bethel University’s campus. The mural makes reference to specific events and persons in the struggle for equality and justice. But the images are also open-ended, their ambiguity allowing for multiple interpretations of these visual metaphors.

Remember. Pain, fear, and alienation permeated Bethel’s campus as a result of the racist acts against diversity, which caused agony not only to the targets, but also for the entire community. The first panel is a poignant reminder of these crimes, depicting one student who found a rifle shell on his car window. Members of the Bethel community were hurt, and the shock waves spread through campus. Students were reminded of America’s tragic history of a fallen civil rights leader assassinated by a high-powered rifle. The broken window is a steely cold reminder of the threat of violence that shattered the progress of many races working together to create unity and a kingdom community at Bethel.
Believe. We believe that we can live together as a Christian community, and so we are committed to working together to uproot racism. Prayer, represented in the Jewish prayer tallît, is a healing salve on wounds cut by racism. Hope is recovered through the cross that rises from the steel with the promise of the risen Christ. Scarred surfaces on the stone and steel symbolize the pain Christ suffered, which brings healing through His power. Profoundly passionate hues hold the work in tension and balance.
Act. Action is necessary to repair the brokenness and pain. An artist’s palette is like God’s palette. Rich racial diversity radiates from mixed and blended skin tones. Before, the broken window seemed hopeless, but now that damage is being repaired and rebuilt. There can be a celebration of growth symbolized by the green field. Is racism a weight being lifted or is it continuing to be a burden? The pulley goes both ways. The choice is ours.