David Garland: Thoughts on Inauguration Day

Dear Campus Family,

I was honored on Monday to participate in our city’s remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As I prepared my remarks for this inspirational event, I was reminded of one of the things I love most about a university community. A university at its best is a collection of people and ideas, often with differing thoughts and perspectives. As we begin a new semester, it is important to acknowledge that each of us brings to the Baylor experience our own history, and each of us represents a bright future for this University and the world in which we live.

I also was reminded of the deep Biblical wisdom of Dr. King that continues to reflect truth today. Dr. King once said, “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what matters.” How absolutely true for us today at Baylor. Dr. King also said, “One of the most agonizing problems within human experience is that few, if any of us, live to see our fondest hopes fulfilled. The hopes of our childhood and the promises of our mature years are unfinished symphonies.” We are left with an unfinished symphony to which each of us will contribute our notes to the score.

As we approach Inauguration Day for our country, my prayer is that the music we add as Baylor students, faculty and staff is not the jangling clatter of hostility, but a powerful chorus of love for others – how Christ taught us to live.

Sincerely,

David E. Garland
Interim President