Wheaton College Alumni Magazine Spring 2014 | Page 50

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STUDENTprofile
Borderless Love
Travels to the Middle East and mentorship from a U.S. Senator have
furthered this junior’s interests in diplomacy and reconciliation.

or Student Government President
Andrew Shadid ’15, a family vacation to
Bethlehem sparked an enduring interest
that has drawn him back to the Middle
East and to the steps of Capitol Hill.
Now planning his sixth return trip
to the Middle East, Andrew continues
to unpack the significance of his time
abroad, which included a formative fourmonth internship in Bethlehem with an
organization called Holy Land Trust in
the summer of 2012.
“While there I was researching the
role of forgiveness, and what communal
forgiveness looks like in areas of
totalitarian conflict,” he says.
Through his research, Andrew met
courageous people who have lent
meaning to Christ’s instruction to love
our enemies. “I got to know inspiring
individuals who are putting their lives
on the line as peacemakers—Muslims,
Christians, Jews, you name it,” he says.
He also came home burdened for the
Holy Land after witnessing the hatred,
terrible injustice, broken relationships, and
lack of forgiveness that plague the region.
Upon returning, he wrote, “There is
no way that I can go back to my normal
western life after experiencing what
I did in Palestine and Israel. If I claim to
be a follower of Christ, which I do,
I must speak as a peacemaker. Silence is
not an option.”
To learn more about the means to
reconciliation, Andrew interned in
the Congressional Fellows Program
last summer. He attended U.S. Senate

hearings for Senator Marco Rubio,
conducted research, and dialogued with
politicians including Senator Mike Lee.
“Senator Lee’s mentorship and
leadership demonstrated what it means
to lead an office where every single
individual is important and has a role
that is meaningful,” Andrew says.
Andrew’s summer internships and
experiences have also shaped his
studies at Wheaton. He is pursuing an
interdisciplinary major composed of
coursework from the communication,
biblical and