Controversy has arisen in the Radnor community over recent plans by Villanova to place Christian crosses on a new bridge.  The new bridge, according to CBS Philly, is “part of a $285-million expansion project, [in which] Radnor Township has approved a pedestrian walkway.” According to Mainline Media News, “some $500,000 of state money will go to the $3.7-million bridge, which will span Lancaster Avenue at Church Walk.”

      The walkway itself is not a problem, but what is on it has been seen as controversial. Atop the two ends of the bridge will be four crosses (two at each end), each four feet, seven inches tall, which will be facing the oncoming traffic. According to Villanova’s website, they are “a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842,” which explains why they would want crosses on their bridge.

      These crosses have stirred up controversy among some of Villanova’s neighbors. Rick Leonardi, who opposes the design, states, “They’re not facing the pedestrians. They’re facing the traffic, so it’s the driving public that’s going to be getting this message.” Leonardi’s suggestion is for Villanova to turn the crosses the other way, so they face the pedestrians.

      Many Villanova students do not see the crosses as an issue. First-year student Chris Montie states, “I think it’s university property, so I think they should be able to do whatever they want.”

      Though the bridge is on Villanova’s property, it will be paid for with university and state money. The designs received unanimous approval, and the build team plans to have the bridge finished, crosses and all, by early 2018. When the bridge is finished, it will belong solely to Villanova.

      Luke Clark, the Radnor Township Board of Commissioners, states, “The design looks great. The crosses are going to go up there. Is it right or wrong? I don’t know. But at the end of the day it is on their property. They are a religious institution, and the law for the most part is in their favor.”

      Sources: CBS Philly, villanova.edu

      Palmer Seminary professor Dr. Deborah Winters recently received the Silver Medal Illumination Book Award in the Biblical Studies category for her recent book “Through Her Eyes: Bible Studies on Women in Scripture.”

      The book has 20 chapters, with each chapter devoted to a specific woman from the Bible. The book offers insight into the stories of these women and analyzes how people can relate to them on a level of personal experience.

      Winters wrote the book with the help of her Women in the Bible class. In an article posted on eastern.edu, Winters states: “The idea for the book started in the Women in the Bible class I teach at Palmer Seminary as students wanted to be able to present what they were learning in class in a Bible study/small group format that they could use in their various churches and ministry settings, hence the birth of ‘Through Her Eyes: Bible Studies on Women in Scripture.’”

      On the Palmer Seminary website, Winters’ biography states, “My approach to teaching is constantly being fine-tuned in the academic setting as well as in pastoral ministry, the mission field and life….I love teaching and preaching from the hard texts of the Bible as I challenge my students to do the research; look at the historical, literary and theological contexts of the Bible as well as the context they have been asked to minister to; and trust the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” The Eastern community congratulates Dr. Winters on creating this amazing book and earning the recognition it deserves.

      Sources: eastern.edu, palmerseminary.edu

     Retired historian Bennett Hill will be presenting a tour of Radnor’s Church of the Good Shepherd on March 19. As part of their annual series, the Radnor Historical Society is hosting this event on Sunday, March 19 at 4 p.m. It is entitled, “History and Architecture of the Church of the Good Shepherd by Bennett Hill,” and it will take place at Church of the Good Shepherd at 1116 East Lancaster Ave., Rosemont. This event will feature Bennett Hill, a retired teacher, member of the RHS Board and guide at Historic Waynesborough, presenting a tour of the church. According to the Radnor Historical Society’s website, the church was built in “the best English gothic style of a country house of the 14th century,” and it was finished in 1894 after its relocation. The church features majestic stained glass, fine wood craftsmanship, an illustrious garden and impressive gothic style architecture.

     Bennett Hill is a historian of the aforementioned parish, and he has noted the parish’s strong stance on Orthodox beliefs. An article on virtueonline.org quotes Hill describing the Church of the Good Shepherd as having a “faithful adherence to the Christian faith, little different from that of Roman Catholics or the Eastern Orthodox.” Hill also describes the church as one that embraces the beauty of holiness, as it “uses vestments, candles and incense in its liturgies and has fine music (though no professional choir).” Hill also notes the church’s undying love for its mission work: “In the 19th century, the church started a hospital, the Home and Hospital of the Good Shepherd, the first on the Main Line, which existed for 50 years.”

     To hear more about the church and its history and construction, the Radnor Historical Society invites the public to this admission-free event.

     Sources: Radnor Historical Society, virtueonline.org

     I once had someone on campus tell me, “There is no need for stories.” What would someone’s life be if they never heard a story? I believe a life without stories is a life without empathy, imagination and unfathomable truth.

     The best way to understand someone is to walk in their shoes or hear a story from their perspective. One of the strongest ways for us to be citizens of the world is to listen to and tell stories from other cultures. We often tell fiction to our children to increase their sense of empathy. Orson Scott Card’s “Ender’s Game” illustrates this need for empathy on the backdrop of a world built on hate for an entire species. To combat this perceived threat, the world leaders have created a space academy to train six year olds to become ruthless commanders and destroy the aliens. The main character, Ender Wiggin, states, “I think it’s impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves.” In his training to kill or be killed, he holds on to the hope of peace through understanding.

     Stories inspire imaginations and inspire other storytellers. A young french boy was sitting in a tent one day when he saw a film reel of a train leaving a station. This boy was inspired by the use of film and created his own production company. His name was Georges Méliès, and he directed some of the first works of film fiction, including “A Trip to the Moon” (1902). In the time before digital effects, Méliès launched people into space, choreographed mermaid battles under the ocean and convinced audiences of his feats using nothing more than cutouts and clever filmmaking. The imagination leads to possibilities in the real world. The first astronauts walked on the moon because science fiction stories, like Méliès’, convinced them it was possible. There is no doubt that Ridley Scott’s “The Martian” (2015) has already intrigued the thoughts of NASA.

     All stories are founded in reality because all stories are thought up by real people. Stories reflect life, but they can also illuminate an angle of life people cannot describe. This angle of life can only be felt and experienced, and stories have the power to illustrate this angle. Fiction comes the closest to describing this angle of life because it relies on a principle known as suspension of disbelief. This principle means anyone can enjoy a story without falling into crippling depression from the events in the story. The story is not real and is interpreted as an overdramatization of real aspects of life. Oftentimes, these overdramatized moments are the most accurate depictions of life. What moment pulls on the heart more? Is it the death of a side character or the loss of the protagonist’s best friend? Is it the single hums from an individual or the glorious eruption from a whole choir? Is it the handshakes exchanged between friends or the family reunions of those long separated? All of these events happen in real life, but only the overdramatized ones capture a piece of our existence more than a simple essay could.

     Stories are powerful because they promote empathy, inspire creativity and address the tender, unfathomable parts of our lives. Fiction is necessary. Facts, science, psychology and mathematics can describe life, but only fiction, art, music and stories can reveal life.

     I don’t have a girlfriend, and at the moment, I don’t need one. I go third wheeling. I am a professional in my field, and I have decided to become a consultant to help others be the perfect complement to their friends’ match made in Heaven. I can teach you how to keep a conversation going when the two of them show the first signs of frustration, offer directions without making the guy at the wheel look like an idiot, suggest compromises and make them sound like they were their ideas, enter a room without changing the chemistry and leave without being missed. To add to the quality of my time third wheeling is the quantity of dates I have attended. As of my time writing this, I have been on approximately several dates and no less than a few road trips. These are the facts, and every single one of these dates has gone off well without a hitch. You can be a part of dates like this too. All you have to do is listen up.

     Basic principles: no matter who, no matter what, anyone can be the best third wheel on a date; they just need the right mount. If you keep in mind these three principles, it will keep the romance going between the lucky couple and get you invited to tag along on their next outing.

     The first principle is answer questions. If one of them wants advice, give them honest advice. If they wanted someone to gush about how everything is going perfectly and how they can do no wrong, they would have just asked Siri. But they did not ask Siri. They asked you, which means they said yes to you being on their date. The more open and sincere you are with a couple, the more genuine they feel you are. Listen and respond to the conversation.

     The second principle is do not steal. This night is not about you. It is about the two of them. Do not steal the conversation for yourself. Keep it flowing by inviting new subjects they will enjoy talking about. Do not steal the show. If you make yourself too distracting and obnoxious, the couple will likely drop you off early. Most importantly, do not steal their date! You’re going to get smacked upside your big head if you even think about making googoo eyes.

     The third principle is be friendly. Of course, you’re already friendly, right? That’s what got you on the date in the first place. The difficulty of being friendly arises when the couple you’re hanging out with breaks up. Sad but true, this can happen. By now, the two of them like you. They like you, but they have come a point where they need to be separate from each other. They will still want to hang out with you, though. You have to be there to lend support. Be there to lend a hand. Be there to lend your time. Your physical presence lets them know life is going to be alright. Even if the two of them stay separate, at least they will have you together.

     After that, you’re on your own, but always remember: third wheeling is not the amount of dates you attend. It’s the insurmountable attendance you bring to their date.

     Inspired by the teachings of Alex “Hitch” Hitchens.