In Culminating 'Jesus Week' Event, Kyle Speaks to Crowd

Despite dreary weather, nearly 200 supporters gathered in front of the Science Center Friday afternoon to rally behind M. Kyle Sims '02 in the featured event of "Jesus Week."

Sims, perched atop a rock amidst pouring rain and many an umbrella, declared, "I am Kyle." He posed and answered two questions to his audience: "Why do I need a god?" and "If there is a god, why is there so much pain and suffering in the world?"

Sims spoke about the role of Christianity in his life, hoping to increase awareness on campus and spread the gospel. He preached to onlookers, "God fulfills my every need."

The speaker described the story of his father, who came from an abusive household as a child.

"My dad followed God," he said. "He led him to a university in Texas, where he met his wife...and God is there for you in the midst of your suffering."

The speech lasted for 15 minutes, ending in a solemn prayer and a singing of "Amazing Grace."

A large portion of the audience sported bright orange shirts reading "I agree with Kyle" that had been distributed earlier that morning.

Students from various Christian organizations, members of the community and friends of Kyle came to the brief presentation.

"It was a really neat time for all Christians on campus to come together and show we're all unified," said Heather A. Woodruff '03, who was wearing one of the bright orange shirts.

One of the added surprises of the afternoon was the appearance of Sims' parents, who caught the last flight from Dallas to show support for their son and spend the holiday weekend together.

Kyle's name became an instant mystery across campus, and Friday's event was almost an unveiling ceremony. After the speech, Sims said, "I don't really think I'm a superstar. It's not really about me, it's about the message."

The large crowd did not shake the humble speaker.

"I've had the opportunity to share at church at home," he said.

The overwhelming turnout of the event despite poor weather encouraged organizers.

Christian Impact member Jennifer L. Whiteside '01 got the idea for the "Do you agree with Kyle?" campaign from a friend at Penn State who helped organize a similar "I agree with Adam" testimonial that brought together more than a dozen different Christian student groups on their campus.

With Jesus Week, Christian leaders hoped to unite students from all denominations and inspire all students to discuss religion whether or not they agreed with Kyle.

Organizers collected support from Christian groups across campus and from the groups' generous graduates. They hung posters, distributed shirts and even ran a full-page advertisement in The Crimson with Sims' testimonial and a list of supporters to promote the week's events.

Whiteside picked Sims because "everyone knows him and has a ton of respect for him." But she said that Sims' selection was not necessarily exclusive.

"It really could have been anyone; the idea behind it is that all Christians are unified in Christ and that we can all identify with each other through that common faith," she said.

Organizers also selected Sims because of his role on campus. Because the speaker is a well-liked football player, Harvard Christian leaders felt Kyle would have a similar effect to what other athletes have had on other campuses.

Some of the week's other events included a prayer service on Palm Sunday, a candlelight vigil at Memorial Church for the "Christians throughout the world who are being persecuted" and an Easter Celebration.

Organizers lauded the success of "Jesus Week," which brought together members of all the Harvard Christian groups for the first time.

"Jesus Week," which organizers aligned with Easter week, coincided with a Fifteen Minutes article on Christianity on campus.

"Whether it is our tendency to pridefully judge others or to engulf ourselves in our own little Christian world and then view everything from that perspective, [the] article definitely made some valid critiques," Whiteside said.

She said the group plans to hold another "Jesus Week" in the future.