God in the whirlwind. Reflections by Perkins Fellow Dominique DeBose '19

Lately I've been feeling like I'm in the middle of a whirlwind*. A disorienting but comforting peacefulness at the core, accompanied by an eerie awareness of the fact that I am surrounded by gales of ungraspable uncertainty... I'm not sure if I should be encouraged or fearful. My vision is clouded... although what vision? The winds protect me, I suppose, or maybe limit me? I want to give my all to something, I want to go out into the world. But I don't know where. I have this mind-eating anxiety about what God's will for me is and a heart-aching desire to pursue it. Yet still, in light of all of my endless interests and passions, I refuse to think of God's will as a time-sensitive bus that I stand in wait for at a specific stop on the corner, worried that if I'm not paying attention, it will pass me by, and I will be left stranded. Instead, her will is of a daily state of mind. So, in that, I ask for WISDOM, FOCUS, PEACE, and RETENTION to go on living each day at a time. I don't know what I'm doing and I don't know where I am going. And that's okay. 

I've come to realize that God is too good to me to let me truly miss out on anything. A tolerant mother who just wants the best for me. Though in the midst of the whirlwind, I get frustrated and angry wondering why she speaks in indecipherable metaphors instead of clear answers, irritated because I cry out and hear no answer. I get annoyed because I thought she was good. But who am I but a child? Who am I to doubt her goodness that has already been so prevalent and revealed to me thus far. Life-giving friends and all the laughter and other good medicines they come with, community, and family that I would be a fool to not express my gratitude towards is what has been given to me. I am learning to live each day at a time, with all of its confusions, frustrations, and laughs. And each day at a time, I will continue to seek God's will with wisdom, focus, peace, and retention. 

*whirlwind: also, used in similes and metaphors to describe an energetic or tumultuous person

Let's be comfortable with being uncomfortable - Laura Eom '18

A new year means new resolutions to do better, be better, and grow as person. It’s only the middle of January though and I am already failing at my new years resolution: to be comfortable being uncomfortable. I’ve fallen back into the same routine of going to class, talking to the same people, eating the same food, and going to the same places for fun. I am addicted to comfort and security… and there’s a good chance you are too. 

Being a Horizons Fellow has challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, specifically, when it comes to racial justice. In one of our recent meetings, we were able to talk about how to approach racial reconciliation in Charlottesville with its history and current issue of gentrification. This meeting included the Perkins Fellows as well, and I was not the only minority speaking on this issue.

The discussion did not end with a singular action based resolution and it would be naive to think that a complex societal issue could be solved in one meeting. Nevertheless, that should not debilitate one to inaction. No one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something.

Start by listening to the people who are affected by this issue. This means going out of your way to meet people who are different from you. Go to culture shows, One Way IV/AIV/GCF large group, BSA/ISA/VSA meetings and listen! Let people talk about their experiences and validate them. Their experiences are real and may extend beyond just themselves. Be comfortable being uncomfortable not knowing everything about race and privilege. I myself am still learning from people who come from different backgrounds than my own and it can still feel uncomfortable at times! Don’t be afraid of feeling stupid asking questions. It is more stupid to accept living in ignorance. And if you’re someone who has never had to think about how race affects your day-to-day life, it is to be expected that some things need to be explained. And that is OK! It is a process and it takes humility to accept this.

Let's move towards looking more like Christ and be people who initiate these conversations. Jesus initiated conversation when it came to the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-42) and the crippled beggar (John 5:1-15). And in both situations, he was met with pushback and awkwardness. But, Jesus proceeded to converse and interact anyway. He was not deterred from the responses because he loved each one deeply. Our love for comfort and routine should not supersede our love to know and understand brothers and sisters of a different race.  

This year, I commit to being comfortable being uncomfortable, not only for the sake of my brothers and sisters, but for my own personal growth. I will be intentional in placing myself in communities that don’t look like me, and learning from them. Will you step out in faith and take up this challenge with me?

To learn more about the Horizons Fellows program, click here. 

Reflections by Fellow, Joanie Fasulo

Winter break is one of the only times in the year when I get to wake up to a blank calendar. Other than familial commitments and the occasional phone call, I get to spend my time freely and can even make the choice not to do anything productive. There is little to no question if I will be able to read my Bible or spend time in prayer  – time is in abundance. 

During the academic year, this is not the case. I go to bed each night, thinking about the flurry of activity that will begin the next morning – generally not stopping until late the next evening. Of course, I am the one choosing to live this hectic life – running from a morning behind the counter at Grit to a seminar on African American Political Thought and then to a lecture in the English department on Little Women. After that, it is off to spend time with community youth partners at Friendship Court and then to grab dinner at Newcomb before heading to Alderman for the night, taking little time in between any of these things (generally being late to most). 

These are all things I am happy to be doing. I love the people that I work with and I love that I get to listen to brilliant professors and peers talk about topics that interest me (and with one semester left, I have become even more grateful for my education here). However, during these hectic days, it is all too easy to get caught up in the here-and-now and neglect any part of life that isn’t on my to-do list (something we reflected on with David Foster Wallace’s This is Water as Horizons fellows). This can mean seeing far too few friends who draw me closer to the Lord, reading my Bible or going to church; or any combination of these things that help me to remember that I am a daughter of the King and that I have been promised life to the full. Forgetting my identity makes it harder to give and receive grace, love others well, and commit to a servant’s attitude – things that aren’t all that easy in the first place. After a summer diving deeper into many theological questions and practices, it became rather clear that the answer is almost always to spend more time with God – to seek comfort in the hard times and to celebrate in the good. So many of us know this to be true, yet we still struggle to do just that – at least, I know I do. When I came back to grounds this fall after my time spent working in a kitchen at a Christian study center on Martha’s Vineyard (perhaps the most idyllic summer job), I was so grateful that I had signed up to spend a larger chunk of time with the Theological Horizons team. 

As an Intern and a Fellow, the chunks in my calendar designated to TH are set apart from the rest of my commitments (and not just because they have their own color in my elaborate attempt at organization– one of my many outlets of procrastination). I step out of my frenetic pace and into the spaces that TH creates for me. These spaces are marked aside and often begin or end in prayer. Not only do I get to hear wisdom from vintage Christians on Fridays, I get to learn about their lives and read their quotes in preparation for sharing their words with students via weekly emails or social media posts. I get to receive wisdom and advice from my mentor who is further along in her walk with the Lord and is also passionate about caring for the community around her. Engaging in times of fellowship and encouragement extend beyond the times like evening prayer (here is a shameless plug for y’all – Wednesdays at 6pm, Lawn Room 47 West) or monthly Horizons meetings. It is in our weekly planning meetings where Christy will catch us up on the latest episode of On Being and Karen will read a piece to bring us into prayer and a time of sharing (this was where I learned of the spiritual practice of statio – taking intentional time during transitions to rest in the moment.) Fridays spent in the office with Megan offer a time to catch up from the week as either of us work on various duties as interns (often involving envelopes) – we give each other briefings on what has happened and how we’ve been doing with the quiet times (Megan is a seasoned pro at making these happen in her own busy schedule, I am often in awe). Perhaps the highlight of both of our semesters, has been the steady supply of trail mix available in the office (aside from the times when our fellow intern, Garrett, has stolen all the chocolate). 

Fittingly, I had not taken a break long enough to reflect on how I spent my time over this semester until it was over. Looking back, I am able to fully appreciate all of the different ways that my time with TH draws me out of my calendar and myself and into a beloved community. In a time in my life when the next step is uncertain, I am unbelievably grateful to Theological Horizons and the people it has led me to and the restful times it has given to me. 

Directionally Challenged | Horizons Fellow Ellie Wood '18

“Arrive at Christy’s house by 8pm” -- a simple direction, with a not so simple destination. As a Horizons Fellow, I have the unique opportunity to meet with the other Fellows every month to discuss theology, chat about life, and learn how to live a life for Jesus.  Christy, our fearless leader, has been gracious enough to open up her beautiful home out in the countryside for our monthly meetings. On this particular night, Margaret Draper (another Fellow) and I decided to carpool out to Christy’s house. Now, for those of you who don’t know me, you should know one thing: I am perpetually late.  I have always been and most likely always will be at least 10 minutes late to the party.  Following this pattern, Margaret and I were already running late to our Fellows meeting when we lost cell phone service and as a result lost our sense of direction.

Snaking down unknown, curvy roads, we quickly realized we had missed our turn. As we drove aimlessly, we discussed our post-grad plans and realized neither of us had any concrete ideas. We both had joined in on the typical UVa business consulting career frenzy but through our conversation, I realized I had no idea why I “wanted” to go into consulting. Within my major at the Batten School, everyone feels the unsaid pressure to have the best job in the best city while singlehandedly changing the world through policy. Somewhere along the way, consulting became the route to achieving all of this and more, so I wanted to get in on it.  I didn’t consider whether or not I would actually enjoy consulting nor did I even attempt to ask God about it. I was captivated by the world’s definition of success but deaf to the Lord’s voice in my life. God calls us to a much higher purpose than to simply “be the best.” In 2 Peter 1:3, Peter addresses this calling by saying, “his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” The key to this verse for me is ‘our knowledge of him’—and I realized that night that through my pursuit of knowledge in my major and in my job search, I’d forgotten first and foremost to seek knowledge of the Lord.

Despite arriving 30 minutes late, Margaret and I eventually made it to Christy’s house, and everyone welcomed us in with cookies and laughter. Although we may have taken the longer route to get there, the conversation was well worth it. As a 4th year, life often feels like a journey with a not-so-simple destination. But, since that car ride, the Lord has gently reminded me that He is the one holding the directions. 

Christianity is Madness! Capps Lecture by Dr. Stanley Hauerwas

In case you missed it, or in case you want to mull over it some more, Dr. Stanley Hauerwas gave a provocative lecture on Kierkegaard and the Academy on Thursday, October 12th at the University of Virginia. We were honored to host him in partnership with the Project on Lived Theology and through our Capps Lecture series. 

To watch the video recording, click here.

Professor Hauerwas has sought to recover the significance of the virtues for understanding the nature of the Christian life. This search has led him to emphasize the importance of the church, as well as narrative for understanding Christian existence. His work cuts across disciplinary lines as he is in conversation with systematic theology, philosophical theology and ethics, political theory, as well as the philosophy of social science and medical ethics. He was named "America’s Best Theologian" by Time magazine in 2001. Dr. Hauerwas, who holds a joint appointment in Duke Law School, delivered the prestigious Gifford Lectureship at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland in 2001.

His book, A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, was selected as one of the 100 most important books on religion of the 20th century. Dr. Hauerwas recently authored The Work of Theology(Eerdmans, 2015), Hannah’s Child: A Theological Memoir, 2nd Ed. (Eerdmans, 2012), and War and the American Difference: Theological Reflections on Violence and National Identity ( Baker Academic Press, 2011).