| Controversial traveling preacher visits campus |
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| Written by Bobby Swain | |
 Students gathered to listen to and debate Brother Matt’s message outside Havener last Thursday and Friday Standing outside the Havener Center, Brother Matt informed passersby of their current post-mortem destinations. He was accompanied by those who enjoy arguing their points of view, those who rebelled in serious and humorous manners, and those who just stood silently listening to the speeches. Brother Matt surely attracted crowds whether they liked him or narrowed their eyes in his direction. In some way or another, everyone either heard from or heard of Brother Matt. On a day that was supposed to be quieter than others due to the DaVinci Society’s “National Day of Silence to protest the harassment experienced by LGBT students and their allies,” Brother Matt was a sort of counter-protest to this. For the original silent protestors, it was frustrating; for others, entertaining. In a campus radio interview on KMNR after his final sermon and question and answer session, he stated that his mission for the week was to be “a voice in the midst of silence.” He also said that he reaches everyone, whether they accept or reject what he has to say. This, for some, is the truest thing he had said all day. In acts of countering Brother Matt’s counter-protests, some students provided blatant deeds of defiance. Actions included, but were not limited to: hookah smoking in plain view of Brother Matt, a fundraiser idea in which money would be donated to the DaVinci Society for each minute Brother Matt was present, playing of secular music at a high volume when lyrics included the word “Hell,” and other means of gathering his attention and countering his words. Some students walked away, jokingly saying, “Hey, guess what? I’m going to Hell!” When asked on the radio what he thinks of students’ reactions to his words, he said “the message is perceived as hateful because it called on sinners for what they were, not what they wanted to be.” He went on to explain, quoting the Bible, that according to Scripture it says to go and preach the gospel, and he is here to do just that. “There is a lot of sin and world views on campus and few Christian views on how to deal with sin,” he explained. There have been some less “radical” students who questioned why the talks about the wrath of God and Hellfire greatly outweighed the preaching about the love of God and forgiveness and salvation. “In the four gospels you’ll find there are thirteen times more scripture on wrath, judgement and hell than there was on the basic love of Christ, or the mercy or forgiveness of Christ,” said Brother Matt during his radio interview. Some may find this an ineffective or even repelling method of spreading what the Bible has to say. There are many messages in the Bible, stories and directions, and some preachers may choose to focus messages they deem necessary to share. In any case, Brother Matt’s message was certainly heard by all: “Repent or perish.” |
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