for TCU Better Together, our campus interfaith club that works closely with Interfaith Youth Core. This diverse club meets weekly to engage in activities like interfaith dialogue, community service and visits to local places of worship. While facilitating a student club that centers on free food and conversation is both fun and meaningful, I now have the knowledge I need to inject a more intentional why into the organization. Our student organization matters because we are learning about our neighbors. Learning about our neighbors matters because we are called, as people of faith, to love our neighbors. And loving our neighbors requires us to advocate for our neighbors. In continued collaboration with the BJC, I know I can empower these students to be advocates for all.

here in the United States, the First Amendment of the Constitution prohibits the government from establishing or sponsoring a religion or interfering in the free exercise of religion. This is a reminder that the freedom to our thoughts and beliefs is granted by God and protected by our government. It also helps us recognize that we are not the only ones in this world, but that there are minds that think and believe differently than we do, and we should lift our voices when anyone’s religious freedom is jeopardized.

diminish or denigrate or discriminate against people because of their religion, when entire religions are misunderstood or misrepresented or mischaracterized by our governments, we aren’t protecting anyone — we’re harming everyone.

Through hearing different speakers, it became clear that the government doesn’t give us our rights but merely recognizes and protects them.

to take up the song of freedom. While my presence and participation in the BJC Fellows Program was the result of my interest in religious liberty, ringing the Freedom Bell with my colleagues was a call to action — a reminder that we all have a part to play in this ongoing work of protecting and promoting religious liberty. It reminded me of the good news that we’re not alone in this work.

such liberties truly are, silence and often neglect provide avenues for those same liberties to be undermined.

that gleam with possibility. It has taken this time to find that one thing that I want others to know. I have gone over my notes and the slides I have in my possession and re-read the content of our Dropbox as I contemplated my experiences. Through that process, I was reminded of just how much information we covered over those few days … I have come home with a renewed sense of urgency for making those new challenges something my community — of friends, family and church members — aware of how our world could change, if only we would get involved.

their playbook, but my BJC Fellows cohorts shared ideas that both validated and challenged my own beliefs and world view. The guest lecturers, historical interpreters, tours and assigned readings were like watching old game tapes – they provide valuable information and a historical context that inform today’s realities. At the end of the BJC Fellows Seminar, we left feeling equipped and empowered to contribute our gifts and talents to the important work of defending and extending religious liberty for all within our respective spheres of influence, and we know there is still a lot of work to be done.

seeing the anachronism of a person dressed in 18th century garb driving a golf cart.

So, what did I learn? I reaffirmed the wisdom of our church’s support for the BJC. The Baptist Joint Committee advocates for issues arising out of the two religion clauses of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Free Exercise Clause allows for broad exercise of religious liberty unconstrained by governmental interference except in cases of generally applicable laws. The Establishment Clause operates as a check on governmental attempts to establish an official religion or favor one religion over another.

for those not in power. We heard about the work that the BJC does alone and in coalitions to protect the right of religious liberty. I left our final session strangely energized and slightly optimistic. History often repeats itself, but every once in a while, committed individuals are able to alter it in small but foundational ways. In this room were nine other individuals with different spheres of influence that were as committed to protecting the right of religious liberty as I was. Going before us were 30 other BJC Fellows, the staff of the BJC and their predecessors from the past 80 years.