This page: The Myhra household is well represented in the MN House of Representatives. Rep. Pam Myhra (District 40A) is the mother of three NWC students, all of whom have served as legislative interns: Kathrin ’13 (left) and twins Kristin ’12 and Justin ’12. Opposite: The Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul was designed by architect Cass Gilbert and completed in 1905.
“My relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is the only reason why I’m doing any of this, [which is] deeper than political gain or power.” – Rep. Pam Myhra, NWC parent
Even in disagreement, Christians should be guided by the life modeled by Jesus, said Max Rymer ’13, who interns for Rep. Myhra. “If Jesus Christ were a politician, I think he would be loving and willing to listen to others.”
Cooperation and relationship building At its best, the political sphere is where individuals of diverse convictions come together to work out differences. At its worst, it is the arena for inflexibility, standoffs and bad behavior. Progress can’t always occur without conflict. “Part of being a leader is about making decisions—and sometimes difficult decisions,” said Senator Benjamin Kruse (District 47), who is enrolled in NWC’s FOCUS program. “Sometimes you need to have a healthy conflict and healthy debate.”
But conflict can also become a barrier to process. “There are people who say, ‘If it comes from across the aisle, I’m not going to listen to it,’” said Rep. Myhra. “I don’t find that helpful.” She described the reciprocal interaction that occurs when a bill is taking shape. “You take an idea, write it out, put it in a bill and go to committee. Members on both sides of the aisle ask questions. You improve, improve and improve on it. There are times when people across the aisle have really good ideas.” Sen. Pederson said, “There’s little that we can do by ourselves in this life if we’re always off doing our own thing, unconcerned about the relationships around us. Isolated, we will be ineffective. That’s true in friendship, family, business, church and politics.”
Living out beliefs—even in hardship For many Christians involved in politics, the practice of their faith is critical. “I think there’s a lot of prayer behind the scenes,” said Sen. Kruse. “There’s a group of senators and a like group in the House of Representatives that get together and pray once a week. That’s a huge part of keeping grounded.” Jeanette Purcell ’09, who interned while an undergraduate and now works in her own fundraising firm, said, “One of the most important things that has gotten me through this has been a network of Christian mentors and prayer.” She recalled a time when going with the flow—a direction that she felt was contrary to her Continued on page 27 S p r i n g /Summe r 2012 PILOT
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