Union Theological Seminary Students Dispense Moral Warning to School’s Administration

Friday, September 27th, Union Theological Seminary, New York — Union Theological Seminary administrators hastily painted over a message that seminary students had written on a construction wall the night before. Citing the book of Daniel from the Bible, Union students are protesting the seminary’s decision to sell air rights above the campus to a development company for the construction of a 40-story luxury condominium tower. Within hours of daylight, a crew painted over the message on the construction wall. Administration has not responded to the message, or to students actions in the previous week.

Following intense anti-tower student protests in 2016 and 2017, students have begun protesting as the school prepares to begin the tower construction. The student protesters have declared the tower unethical and counter to the principles the school claims to uphold.  

The student protesters released the following message this morning on their Facebook page, WhoseUnion:

‘“MENE, MENE, 

God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;

TEKEL, 

you have been weighed ... and found wanting;

UPHARSIN”

your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

Last night, the ‘writing on the wall’ appeared to Union as it once did during King Belshazzar's feast in Daniel 5. These foreboding words from a mysterious source call out Belshazzar’s failure to honor God. They are an indictment of unchecked arrogance and waste, spelling trouble and division. 

Union Theological Seminary- you have been weighed and found wanting. The student body is divided. The quad, divided. Our gentrified neighborhood, divided. The days of Union as we know it, or would like to know it, are numbered. 

When Belshazzar first sees the writing on the wall, he is unable to read it. Likewise, the Union administration was either unable or unwilling to read the message, choosing instead to immediately paint it over. Daniel’s translation to the King, as to us, is a dire warning of destruction. May we hear it and act accordingly.’