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David French, JD, bestselling author and columnist for The New York Times, traveled to Southern Adventist University’s campus to speak with faculty, students, and the community on September 19 for the R. Lynn Saul’s Lecture Series hosted by Southern’s School of Journalism and Communication. 

During French’s time on campus, he interacted with students and faculty during class time and a luncheon, then gave a lecture titled “A Nation Divided: Where Do We Go From Here?”

“Our opinions about the other party have only gotten worse. We don’t just disagree, we have animosity,” French said, sharing that many people no longer want to be friends with others who hold different beliefs.  “Sometimes it can be hard to be a solitary dissenter in a community where everyone disagrees with you, or often you can feel oppressed or intimidated sometimes in hyper-partisan cultures where you’re on the outside looking in.”

His solution for how to move forward, based on his Christian beliefs, is that people need to create a greater sense of connection in society. “We are awash in hatred, but we know the antidote,” French said. “The antidote to hate is love. The antidote to cruelty is kindness.” He shared that each person can help heal the nation through friendships, connecting with people on a human level, and striving “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). “The call now is to move from fear,” he said, “to reach out to people with whom we disagree, to love unconditionally. That is what heals us.”

French’s lecture was not just a one-way communication. Following the presentation, he was joined on stage by LaTrice Currie, co-anchor for Chattanooga-based Local 3 News, who moderated the Q&A portion of the event. This interactive session allowed the audience to actively participate and ask French questions.

French graduated from Lipscomb University with a Bachelor of Arts and then earned his doctoral degree at Harvard Law School. He has worked as senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, a lecturer at Cornell Law School, and a litigator focusing on constitutional law. In 2006, he obtained an age waiver from the U.S. Army and served in Iraq. His most recent book, Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation, outlines the dangers of polarization and the need to engage with people who have opposing viewpoints.

The Chattanooga Times Free Press was a sponsor for this event. The R. Lynn Sauls Lecture Series invites prominent journalists and top communication professionals to Southern’s campus to inspire a new generation of truth seekers, storytellers, and influencers. The series honors the legacy of Lynn Sauls, ’52, PhD, former chair of what is now the School of Journalism and Communication at Southern, who passed away in 2023. 

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