Announcing the 2018 Goodwin Writing Prize Winners!

Announcing the 2018 Richard & Louise Goodwin Prizes for Excellence in Theological Writing

The board of directors of Theological Horizons is pleased to announce the winners of the 2018 Goodwin Prizes.  Awards are given to graduate students whose essays demonstrate creative theological thinking, excellence in scholarship, faithful witness to the Christian tradition, and engagement with the community of faith.

The $2,500 prize has been awarded to Joseph McCrave (Boston College) for the essay, "Forgiveness as a Virtue for Transitional Justice Contexts: Towards a Constructive Account."  McCrave’s faculty advisor receives an award of $500.

The $1,000 prize has been awarded to Bryan Ellrod (Emory University) for the essay, “The New Romantics: Authority, Authorship, and the Fragment’s Place in Christian Ethics”.

Chris Hazlaris (Yale Divinity School) has been awarded $500 for the essay, “Redeeming a Sinful Theology of Nature.”

An Honorable Mention of $200 goes to Matthew Wiley (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) for the essay, “Sacramental Theology in a Secular Age: Charles Taylor and the Evangelical Church.”

We are deeply encouraged to see young scholars of such promise and commitment and we offer our warm congratulations to all who participated in this year’s competition.

A note about the process: All submissions were cleared of identifying author information and evaluated by three independent judges.

September Prayers - The call to lament

The beginning of the year for us always falls at the end of August. There is so much freshness and excitment. It's easy to gloss over the real wounds and pain we carry,  individually and collectively, as we eagerly march forward with new backpacks and sharpened pencils. 

And so, during our Perkins Fellows Plunge this past week, we began with lamenting the pain of August 11/12 and our ongoing divisions. We watched a powerful documentary about our city and then we stood together and recited a Liturgy for those who weep without knowing why.

And finally, we went out to visit with the courageous non-profits around Charlottesville that work daily to bridge the divisions between black and white, richer and poorer, between those with access to fresh food and those without, between those with citizenship and those without, and between God and each person.

Please join us in lamenting...and moving forward with renewed focus and hope.

GIVE THANKS WITH US FOR:

Over 100 students came to our Wahoo Welcome Lunch!

Our 10 Perkins Fellows (6 new!) and their 7 community partners.

Back to school mercies.

Summer rhythms and gatherings with friends and family.

Is your nest emptying? Guest post by Susan Yates

This is a guest post by the author/speaker Susan Yates. Email this post to a friend and CC us (christy@theologicalhorizons.org) and we'll enter you in a drawing to win a copy of Susan and Barbara Rainey's book for both you and your friend!

Are you getting ready to send a child off to college or preparing to send your youngest to all day school? Or have you just had a wedding? If so, you may be an emotional mess. The empty nest hits us in different ways, at different times, and often when we least expect it!

How well I remember dropping our last child Susy off at college and beginning the long drive home. The week before, we had left her twin sister Libby at another college so not only was I sending off my last two at once, but it was the first time the girls, who are very close, had been separated. My husband John thought this would be a celebration of sorts for us! All those years of daily parenting five children would be finished and now we could focus more on us. So he planned an overnight on the drive home at a romantic lodge in the mountains. Ha.

As we pulled away from the college campus my tears started to flow. I felt like my life was over. My main job of parenting was done. What was my purpose to be now? I ached for the sadness the girls were experiencing in being separated. It had been their idea to go to different colleges but none of us anticipated the pain this would cause. In the midst of my tears I tried to explain my feelings to my husband. Feelings I couldn’t even understand. I felt lonely in my misery. I felt guilty. After all, this was a good thing! And I had a great husband who was trying to please me. Yet I was miserable. Needless to say our romantic getaway wasn’t very romantic!

You may not experience sadness at having just sent a child off. In fact you may be thrilled. Each one of us is different and we never know when the emotions of the empty nest will hit us. It may not be until your last child is married. Or you may grieve when they begin high school. This season is not neat. It’s messy. And there’s not much written about it to guide us through it. But God does have a new plan for each of us as we approach the empty nest. And it is exciting.

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If you are about to drop off your college freshman here are 4 great tips:

1. Before you go to campus research the fellowship groups on the campus. Groups like Cru, RUF, Christian Study Centers, Navigators, IV. Find out when and where they meet and tell your child that you want them to visit two at least twice and then join one. The same thing applies to church. Visit 2 and then commit to the one that feels right. This should be a clear expectation, similar to going to class. You are likely financing some of their costs and you have a right to make this a condition. They should commit to a fellowship group and a church within the first 2 months. Statistics show that the first 10 days of college life are crucial in determining what “group” your student will hang out with. We want to encourage our kids to seek healthy relationships.
2. Many college fellowships have move-in day luncheons. Sign up to attend one. You and your child will meet other believers and hear about fellowship groups on campus. The Center for Christian Study in Charlottesville, VA has one such lunch that my daughter Libby and I helped start nearly 20 years ago! 
3. When you move in wear a t-shirt from a Christian camp or some logo. When our daughter Libby moved into her dorm she had on a Young Life t-shirt. Another girl moving in recognized this and the girls realized they were both believers. This was a huge connection for their first day!
4. Be positive, even if you are sad and your child is too. Communicate to your child that he or she is about to begin a great adventure and it is good! And continue to pray daily for them and for their friendships.

Barbara Rainey and I wrote a book which deals with various challenges of the empty nest including loneliness, redefining marriage, how to let go of your child, etc. The book contains a 4-session group study. We hope you will invite some friends to join you in an Empty Nest book club.

New Guys' Discipleship Group

The aim of this group is to illuminate the Gospel and to examine Jesus’ life as a way to reveal righteousness (right relationships) that leads to abundant life. After laying a foundation, each week we will study Jesus in relationship to a person or (group), principality, or power, and consider how his “way” can inform our own life. This group will primarily use supporting material from The Bible Project.

All guys welcome!

Day/time is TBD but it will be a weekday morning at Bodo's before classes.

For more information, contact: Garrett Trent

Garrett Trent is a UVa grad, a former campus minister with UVa Greek InterVarsity, and he's worked for the last 4 years with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville. He also directs The Perkins House, an interracial, intentional community for undergraduate students in partnership with All Souls church and Theological Horizons.

Welcome Beth Wright, new Manager of Ministry Operations!

We are so thrilled to welcome Beth Wright, our new Manager of Ministry Operations!

Here's a little more about Beth:

 1) Tell us a little about your story. How did you end up in Charlottesville? Where else have you lived and worked?

My husband and I both grew up in rural communities and had always considered moving back to a small town at some point. Having spent most of our adult lives in the Washington, DC area, however, we had become accustomed to many of the amenities that urban living provides.  When our nest started emptying, we began to explore other locations that might be a good combination of urban and rural living.  Ultimately we decided that Charlottesville would be a great home base for us and our two sons, who are in graduate school.   

2) What drew you to work with Theological Horizons? What are you excited about?

Actually, I had not heard of Theological Horizons even though I was working down the street from the Bonhoeffer House until one of my friends mentioned that there was an opening for a Manager of Ministry Operations. Once I started researching TH, I immediately was drawn to its mission and after meeting with Christy, Karen, and board member Anthony, I got very excited at the prospect of working here and sensed that this might be a perfect fit for me. I truly feel that I can make a positive impact here with my professional skills and personality - and enjoy the process!   

3) What else are you up to these days?

Golf!  We just started golf lessons, and I have to be honest, so far I’m finding it a bit frustrating…yet somewhat addictive! I’m also preparing for a mission trip to Haiti with my church and trying to learn Creole - or at least a few phrases. Generally, I spend a lot of my free time traveling, reading, hiking and watching every BBC murder mystery I can!    

4) A lot of our work is wrestling with big questions about faith and what it means to be human with students and the community. What's a big question you wonder about? 

A close friend of mine was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness so I am again wrestling with the old, familiar question of "why do bad things happen to good people?”  I have about decided that the big questions never really get answered completely - at least to my satisfaction - but it’s important to keep pondering and praying.  We really do see through a glass dimly and I struggle to be comfortable with having questions with my level of understanding feeling limited.

Thanks, Beth! Feel free to welcome her or reach out with any questions - beth@theologicalhorizons.org

Coming to College? Tips for you

anna and elizabeth

Are you starting college this fall?  This post is for you!  It’s full of practical advice and insider info from Rachel Tripp of Winchester, Virginia.  Rachel graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014. 

Here's my best advice, taken from my first year experience.  There were both things I think I did right/glad I did and things that I learned from:

NOT helpful: naps. They made me feel even more tired throughout the day. I averaged around 5 hours of sleep in my first semester and it caught up with me. I need at least 6 solid hours of sleep to function normally and not feel groggy throughout the day.  Get enough sleep!

 Meeting new people when and where you can is fun, but it’s also important to intentionally make 3-4 friends that are close to you and that you can get along with. That way you can begin to make deep relationships (that you could live with next year) rather than a width of friendships where you feel lost as to who to hang out with.

And I also learned that it is OKAY to take time away from people. The common term of FOMO "fear of missing out" is so true! My first year I was so afraid to be alone ever, and always had this anxious feeling that I was missing out on something. As a result I did not get good sleep and found myself competing in how many people or friends I knew. Too many friendships that you try to deepen can wear you out!

In an hour or so by yourself from time to time do something simply for the pleasure of it. That can be playing around on a guitar, drawing or crafts, or taking a run/walk around grounds. Take time to do something simply because you want to!

 Get creative with where you study. I enjoyed my first year trying out all the amazing scenery and fun nooks and crannies to study in! Sometimes I would study by the Tennis Courts if I was by Memorial Gym. Sometimes I would study in the Amphitheater, a place conveniently located near the Dumplings truck! Sometimes I would study in first floor Clemons or stacks of Alderman. There are also the gardens by the Rotunda, benches by the Dell, and so many more fun places to study. This can make homework a little more exciting by mixing up the location and bringing a friend along if you enjoying studying with others!

 As far as grades and classes go, establish your routine of how you take notes as early as you can. Try out different techniques. Some people record notes or write down everything either on paper or computer. If you record notes this can allow you to simply listen if that works for you. Handwriting notes worked best for me, to also be able to make diagrams or draw out the concept. I would get too distracted by my computer and the temptation to go on other sites like facebook.

In my first semester I would sit in the back and as a result fell asleep in many of those classes. In order to really pay attention and not get distracted sitting up closer really does help! Even sitting behind someone on facebook can be highly distracting, and has been proven by research to distract other students to the point of really hurting their grades! Also going to class with friends that you sit by that want to go to class is important. I went with a friend that would want to skip the majority of the time, as a result I skipped that class more and did not do as well as I could have.

Study groups worked very well for me. I never did or needed them in high school, but they are highly helpful in college. I would study on my own first and then study in a group. With a group study, you can clarify confusing concepts from a class and double check any notes that you missed if the teacher talked too fast.

Amidst all this studying and learning, there will be many many fantastic clubs and groups to join. You will probably sign up for every other group that sounds highly interesting to you. What I did was sign up for a wide variety of groups to 'trial and error' where I could fit in. Ultimately, however, you may find that a maximum of 3 clubs is more than enough. For me, I picked one main organization that I really wanted to devote my time and heart to: Chi Alpha. I had tried University Dance Club, Nursing Student Without Borders, Oluponya Records, International Justice Mission, and Abundant Life. Eventually however I have limited myself to Chi Alpha and International Justice Mission, so that I can enjoy other various social/active opportunities at UVA.

Plan fun breaks or spontaneous ones with friends as you venture the grounds of UVA. Grab a group of friends to check out Observatory Hill, go to the Corner together, buy groceries from Barracks together, or go to a football game! Once we went out at 2am just to throw a glow-in-the-dark frisbee. It is so easy to find or grab people to come with you on an adventure if you have an idea! Along with fun group hangouts, it also makes it fun to invite other halls or floors to make for co-ed hangouts! We would try to do weekly dinners with some girls in our hall and some of the boys on the floor below us! It is so important to see the game group of people at least on a weekly basis in some form to help make you feel connected!

Peer pressure does exist! I learned this from 'trial and error', I found myself doing things I never thought I would do. Streaking the lawn was fun, but hangovers from alcohol was not so much! It was so important for me to make friendships outside of the party scene, because that is where you can have a relationship based on more than enjoyment of alcohol. If you think 'everyone' is doing it, think again and try out meeting a different group of people if you find your current friends pushing you in a direction that you don't want to go.

If you do decide to go out, be sure that the person you go with can be trusted to stick together. Several times I would be left alone, and learn the hard way that some people can abandon you at a party. Trying to find your way back when you don't know where you're going is not fun! Have a phone number of an upper classman that you know very well that has a car, so you can call them if anything happens!

Have a fantastic first year at college!

Community & The Haven | Reflections by Perkins Fellow Abby Deatherage

On a pre-hurricane rain-soaked morning, I volunteered at the Haven, Charlottesville’s day-shelter for homeless and low-income men and women. I almost didn’t go–I was nervous for my first time working the Welcome Desk, a job that requires memory of where things are, which I’m bad at even on a good day, and general knowledge of how the systems of the Haven work, which I’m still grasping. To add to this general fear, I was sick, coming down with what everyone else has had in this pre-fall season. And it was only my second time volunteering, which meant I wasn’t a regular presence, and might not be missed. But if I didn’t go, I wouldn’t be back for at least another week, and I’m trying my very best to be consistent. So, freezing cold and soaking wet, I went in for a 2 hour shift.

I coughed my way through; I asked questions and found razors and shaving cream and towels and washcloths; I dialed phone numbers and handed out laundry detergent. I don’t think I actually did anything correctly, or even helpfully. But what surprised me was the easy environment in which I existed. I expected to feel shamed for not knowing things; after all, I’m the volunteer, right? The guests knew exactly where things would be; they teased me kindly about my lack of knowledge. I developed a cough a few minutes in, and they asked how I was and told me to make sure I stayed dry.

Here’s the thing: I am just dipping my toes into these waters which so many have swum before me, speaking about concepts and truths I’m learning that so many can articulate with much more clarity. So many go before me for whom this is not a 2 hour per week commitment, but rather years of work, a vocation, a life’s work, or even a reality. What I’m doing here isn’t offering answers or new discoveries; rather, I’m processing the reality I’m learning, showing you my own journey of baby steps.

So, what surprised me? This: in all honesty, I don’t think anything I actually did felt like volunteering, or even like helping. Requests for different items or phone use were minimal; everyone knows the systems in place, and seems to respect them well. In reality, most of my time was spent listening, meeting, talking to people.

I am a newcomer to this community, and each person who passes the welcome desk notices. They stop, they introduce themselves: staff, volunteers, guests. They ask me my name, if I go to UVa, what I study, what I like to do. And they share their stories, too. It’s a precious thing, community, and I’m amazed at how easily they extend their hands and open their arms to me, a nobody, a student who’s only there two hours a week and will graduate within eight months. But they do, and I am so grateful. I don’t know what more I will learn, what else the year has in store with me, but I’m beginning with what everything must grow out of: community. 

*This reflection was kindly re-posted from Abby's wonderful blog. To learn more about the Perkins Fellows program that Abby is a part of, click here.

Politics & Faith: Reflections from an AEI Conference | Julia Scoper '17

I have always shied away from politics, especially Conservative Evangelical Christian politics because I immediately would think of yelling, pointing fingers, religious agendas, and disregard for others. Therefore, politics have always intimidated me because of the intense views I heard and read on the news, whether an extreme liberal or extreme conservative, they both end in hateful bickering on the screen or paper. Fortunately, after the mere welcome address at American Enterprise Institute's (AEI) summit in DC on “Values and Capitalism,” these misconceptions of Conservative Evangelicals were slowly broken down for me.

During the first panel, “Religious Freedom and Human Flourishing: Current Challenges and Prospects,” the concept of religious freedom was explained as the limitation of the power of the state- not allowing the government to tell citizens how to live morally. Religious freedom was a concept I definitely did not understand before this conference. One of the panelists, Russell Moore, emphasized how this religious freedom extends to all religions, not just Christianity. This means allowing mosques or any other types of temples to be built wherever, whenever. It was beyond refreshing to hear this when in the past all I have heard is extremist Christians complaining and rebuking anything that’s not a church soaked in holy oil.

Christianity in politics seemed to put down people and coerce faith into being. Instead, advocating for religious freedom for all is not some sort of manipulative strategy for Christians, but it’s something that Christians should truly believe. It’s not about advocating our own privilege. Third panelist, Stephanie Summers put it best, stating, “Let’s not kill each other over the will of God... You can’t advocate religious freedom and evangelize while you’re also driving your neighbors out of town.”

During lunch, Samuel Rodriguez, the president and CEO of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, spoke about, “Righteousness and Justice: In Pursuit of the Lamb’s Agenda.” He vibrantly preached about how we are not promoting a Christian nation, but a nation of free religion. I found myself furiously writing down every word of his one line zingers that soared straight to the heart. Some of my favorites were, “It’s not about the donkey or elephant agenda, it’s about the Lamb’s,” “Evangelical does not mean angry white male,” “Justice flows from the high to lift up the low,” and “Today’s complacency is tomorrow’s captivity.” He challenged us not to be afraid of politics or speaking the truth of the Bible.

My perceptions of Evangelical Conservative Christians in the political arena completely transformed. Instead of anger and self-righteousness, the panelists spoke of equality, peace, redemption, and above all else, the love of Jesus Christ. It was exactly what I needed to hear. Perhaps our job as Christians is to sift through this world of extremes and find the common ground among people while also finding our personal rock foundation in Jesus Christ. There need to be more deep and personal relationships among all different parties and beliefs if politicians want to get anywhere positive. I left this summit at AEI, refreshed, encouraged, and inspired by these influential Christians who have let Jesus lead the way in their lives and workspaces. I pray now that I can let Jesus reveal to me the broken places within my own heart and within my community and nation, and let Him sharpen my gifts and bring me to these places of need... even if that does mean Capitol Hill. 

Reflections on John M. Perkins' Visit to UVa | Cameron Strange, '16

John Perkins’s legendary reputation precedes him in such a way that I was afraid at the thought of potentially meeting him;  this fear of meeting him only further solidified when I heard him speak at the Common Grounds dinner and then the Capps lecture. I contemplated the ramifications of being face to face with John, and I figured my fear wasn’t so much a fear of there being something to lose as it was a fear of there being something all too great to gain. I feared that, if I introduced myself to him and shook his hand, he might impart some sort of prophetic call over my life that I would not be ready for – I feared that God would use him to speak to me words from God Himself. 

Shortly after I became aware of these fears, I realized how silly it is to place any man on a pedestal such as this, to the extent that simply meeting him would be a fearful encounter. Moreover, I think John himself, if he had known there were people like me who think in ways like this about him, would do his best to dismantle the pedestal and deflect all exaltation to God. Even still, while I acknowledge that putting John on a pedestal was absurd, perhaps my fear in meeting John was not founded solely on pure absurdity – perhaps, it was partly founded on an underlying sense of respect for what he preaches. For, I must say, he preaches words that carry an air of optimism– optimism to a great extent but also to an appropriate extent, considering he uses the Gospel as the basis for what he preaches. 

The vision that John implores us to move towards is lofty in nature, yet it entails a God-given purpose that is so worth living for. The Gospel deserves nothing less than visions for a future world that are seemingly impossible to achieve yet so awe-inspiring and captivating that we can’t help but be sucked into its mission for seeking God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Oddly enough, I think that John did speak to me words from God himself. But, with no disrespect to him, I realize that the message underlying these words weren’t necessarily anything I hadn’t heard before, nor were these words only meant for me. John merely re-cast the vision of the Gospel in the specific context of our present day struggles on the journey towards racial reconciliation. 

His message was a refreshing reminder of the Gospel’s purposes which God has called us ALL to pursue in His strength and by His grace. I felt John inspiring me to become implicated in the world’s brokenness and our every-day struggle for reconciliation, to take responsibility (as he would say) for the world that God has given us to care for.  Part of the good news, however, is that while I am personally convicted by this call to take responsibility for a world that I am often apathetic towards, I am also entangled with my brothers and sisters in Christ, such that I don’t have to “take responsibility” alone. Meanwhile, we also have a sovereign God working on reconciliation’s behalf with us, such that we mere humans do not have to “take responsibility” in vain and for a hopeless cause.

Even having said all of this, I would still probably be somewhat afraid to meet Dr. Perkins (perhaps for fear of inadvertently saying or doing something that disrespected him). But if I did have the guts to say one thing to him in person, I think I would tell him, “Thanks for the reminder – I hope to pass it on to those of my friends who unfortunately couldn’t be here to hear it.” 

The Oxymoron of Proximate Justice - Christen Borgman Yates

Reposted from Cardus.ca online journal.

Oxymorons always unsettle me. They compel me to mull them over in my mind, again and again, attempting to unpack layers juxtaposing two contradictory terms.

Proximate justice is an uncomfortable oxymoron at first. Isn't justice, by its very nature, meant to be full and absolute, right or wrong? Doesn't the integrity of the term demand our full commitment, our faith in the possibility of real justice?

I had the opportunity to hear Jim Wallis speak once at a luncheon in Boston. He was on his book tour for The Great Awakening. One thing I appreciate about Wallis is that he is extremely consistent and persistent. He's talked about wedding personal faith with social justice now for over thirty years. And so when he says there is a revival of justice happening across the country, I'm inclined to take the man at his word. According to Wallis, revivals of justice occur when "Billy Graham meets Martin Luther King," and toward this end, Wallis has inspired folks to join grassroots movements that push political structures from below while praying for open doors from above.

As I considered proximate justice during the lunch though, I wondered whether it would be a compelling selling-point for signing people on to a movement. Movements have an all-or-nothing feel to them, and it's likely the burden our abolitionist, social gospel, or civil rights predecessors felt at times: that they were the ones who had to bring the Kingdom of God here, and now.

Wallis's conclusion with "prayer as key" made me think that he and Garber might still have a point of connection. We do need an understanding of proximate justice to keep us from utter despair and cynicism, especially when the daily grind of working to bring about the kingdom wears us out. At the same time, we could use it as a corrective from taking ourselves or our cause too seriously.

In Political Holiness: A Spirituality of Liberation, Pedro Casaldaliga and Jose Maria Vigil warn us of the idol of justice. They write:

Social justice (however important it may be, and it is) can also be an idol, and we have to purify ourselves from it in order to declare clearly that God alone suffices, and in this way give justice too the fullness of its meaning.

Perhaps proximate justice is ultimately an acknowledgement of humility and faith: faith that this work of bringing about the Kingdom is not entirely on our shoulders after all, that there is a rhythm of work, and then rest, signaled by prayer, contemplation, and weekly Sabbaths.

To be sure, we don't strive for proximate justice. Who wants to strive for an incomplete or imperfect kingdom? By its very definition, shalom means all things as they should be, in right relationship. But we do need an understanding of proximate justice to help us wait until then, even as we strive daily toward shalom in all corners of creation.

My students engaged in community development work, know all too well these dual tendencies: toward the idolatry of our justice work or the cynicism that paralyzes. Studying the complexities of injustice, travelling to the developing world to visit people, learning about the production of goods, and returning here for urban engagement, Christian students are especially exposed to the "bad news," to glaring examples of injustice. They are also mindful of the ways we play a part in all this, like no other generation before us. They are simultaneously driven to right an injustice (fair trade coffee only on campus now!) and stalled by the fear that nothing will ever change. This then is the predicament: Why do anything if it will be tainted by some injustice—if the landfill will increase, if CO2 will be emitted, if a child will be subject to sweatshop labor or sexual trafficking, HIV/AIDS?

We can't work to see these issues approximately solved. We want justice in that child's life completely, not approximately. What motivation based on compromise would sign us up for a justice revival or even compel us to go to work day in and day out? But, as Garber suggests, that mindset is not sustainable, and can be sinful when we shoulder it alone. We must remember that we will not see complete justice this side of heaven. We strive to climb to the mountain summit, not just below it; but we rest often because without resting, there's no way we could keep going. It's just too hard.

Our students start their year reading a selection of Paul Marshall's book, Heaven is Not My Home, because it provides an important foundation for our work in the community that encourages us away from the tendencies toward idolatry and despair. He writes:

Our works, here and now, are not all transitory. The good that we have done will not simply disappear and be forgotten. This world is not a passing and futile phase; it will be taken up in God's new world. Our good buildings, our great inventions, our acts of healing, our best writings, our creative art, our finest clothes, our greatest treasures will not simply pass away. If they represent the greatest works of God's image-bearers, they will adorn the world to come.

Our works for justice, the God-honouring parts, are not all in vain and will not all disappear. This is truly good and life-giving news, news we must remind ourselves of day in and day out within our various vocations.

Recently, one of our students came to the realization of the injustice within the urban public schools where she served. She couldn't believe that art and music had been cut from many of the younger grades. Her middle-class upbringing had been richly blessed by the arts and fostered in her a love for the theatre. Her strongest desire was to change the system right away! But, understanding more the complexities that go into these injustices, she knew change wouldn't happen quickly. With her desire for systemic change still in mind, she set about establishing a theatre program within one of our community partners to teach theatre to young girls. Knowing that so many thousands of children in Lynn could benefit from arts-enrichment like this, she's making peace with her corner of creation: the essential work of teaching drama to thirteen girls.

She's making peace with proximate justice.

Meandering Musings on Place | Reflections by Fellow Nathanael Kim '17

“Where is my place?” is an all-encompassing question that surrounds nearly every facet of our lives. For the UVa student, it includes more specific questions such as “Where am I supposed to be after graduating?” or “Where and with whom should I live beyond first year” or “Which major should I study?” These questions can easily be more debilitating than helpful because they chain people to worldly expectations of life and subsequently a fear of failing to meet such expectations. In the midst of this spiritual and existential confusion, I have found Theological Horizons to be a refreshing respite and place for considering these complex questions. Whether through monthly meetings as a Horizons Fellow or conversations with my stupendous mentor Evan Hansen, God has presented me reminders of His faithful truth to dispel the fears that accompany thoughts regarding place.

For one, everyone’s ultimate place is simply with God. In one of the most beautiful passages in scripture, God invites His people near to Him, saying, “Incline your ear and come to me; hear that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast sure love for David” (Isaiah 55:3). No matter what circumstance or context we face, we are meant to convene and commune with our Heavenly Father. Though we have done everything possible and more that is worthy of separation, He meets us where we are and vindicates us through the death and resurrection of the Christ. Thus, every morning, God invites us to receive His new mercies, to trust in His faithful promises, and to wield His strength to face the day. God is with us, we belong to Him, and He is in everything we do and everywhere we are.

Two, I find that an enormous part of place doesn’t pertain to location but rather to people. The University context presents an amazing opportunity to relate to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Thus, my place is with the Lord and with the people who know me well. In the past four years, no one has known me better than the very people I live with at the Benji, a house filled with eight guys in Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship. We all connected as wide-eyed, naïve first years in the same small group, and from there took the risk of living together in the same house. Needless to say, it has been the best decision of my life yet. What I’ll remember most about these brothers above the countless laughs, prayer, and good times is that during my third year when I was deep in the valley, these guys lifted me from the pit and showed me the love of Christ like no one ever could. As such, I implore any student to seek out friends who become family. The Lord intended for us to share life together and as such, our place is with people who are known by the same God.

With these two maxims in mind, I don’t want to fully disregard the questions of place that were mentioned in the beginning of these thoughts. Personally, the question “Where am I supposed to be after graduation” especially rings true as I am still in a state of uncertainty for the immediate future. Even so, I do not face that ambiguity with fear but rather I am encouraged to draw nearer to God and to my community to discern my next steps. For no matter where I am, my place is with the Lord and with the people He has placed near and dear in my life.

Welcome new Board Members!

We are thrilled to welcome 3 inspiring and accomplished supporters to our board:

Taylor Harris is a creative nonfiction writer and stay-at-home mom living in Charlottesville. Her work has appeared in New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Catapult, Longreads, NPR, McSweeney's and elsewhere. She and her husband, Paul, met on the trolley while attending UVA and have been married for almost 13 years. While the two are quite happy, they have since decided that encouraging others to look for love on the trolley is not the most sound advice. In fall 2018, the couple will plant Victory Church, with the hope of seeing people reconciled to God and each other. 

Steve Long is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College with a BS degree in English. He received his M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia in 1986. He is a board certified Anesthesiologist who practices invasive pain management in Richmond, VA where he is president of Commonwealth Spine and Pain Specialists, and is a clinical associate professor of anesthesiology at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has served on the Board of Visitors at The University of Virginia where he was Chairman of the UVA Health Center and Chair of Educational Police and Academic Affairs.

Georganne Long is a graduate of the University of Alabama and a 1984 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Medicine, receiving her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology  at MCV Hospitals in Richmond. She is Board-certified and was a partner at Richmond OB-GYN Associates for almost 2 decades in Richmond until her recent retirement which she elected to take when her daughters started high school so that she could be more involved in their pre-college years. She has also been a member of the Safety Committee at UVA as the representative of the UVA Parent’s Committee. 

Georganne and Steve have 3 grown children and attend St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, VA.

Welcome to the Abundant Table | Perkins Fellow, Isabella Hall '19

This blog post is reprinted with permission from The Project on Lived Theology.

Ventura, California, is a coastal city where grandmotherly mountains morph seamlessly into the seemingly infinite Pacific ocean. The water’s cool breath mitigates the heat of the ever-present sun and creates a consistently seventy degree oasis. It feels fitting to compare Ventura to Eden with its year-round growing season and nutrient rich sandy-loam soil, a product millions of years in the making as mountains gave way to erosion by winds, rains, and the slow tectonic shifts of the land. In case I have not described a place befitting of the Eden comparison, Ventura country is an agricultural epicenter known as a global supplier of strawberries. The extensive strawberry fields, their neat rows populated by teams of harvesters, are visible from the California 101 freeway and almost every other roadway in the county.

In the past week, I myself have become intimately acquainted with the process of plucking these red-ripened strawberries from their leafy habitations. My work is punctuated with pauses here and there in order to taste the warm flesh of a berry nurtured to maturation by the light of the sun and expert care by the hands of farmers Reyna and Guadalupe, the two farmers who manage The Abundant Table’s small organic farm. If I’m honest, the sublime scene I described above—standing tall in the fields with a box of freshly picked strawberries on my hip, sweat on neck, and dirt all over—was precisely the romantic vision which initially kindled my interest in farming. Can you relate to this confession? Have you ever read poetry by Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, or Annie Dillard and then resolved to live more connected with and attentive to the land? Have you ever thought of uprooting your current constraints and pioneering a new path as a wildflower farmer, an urban agrarian, or a naturalist poet? I have a sense I’m not alone in this. The earth enchants the soul; its holiness at once both mysterious and self-evident. Wendell Berry remarks, “We did not make it. We know little about it. In fact, we don’t, and will never, know enough to make our survival sure or our lives carefree.”[1]And yet for the overwhelming majority of Americans, connectivity to the land is a remote reality.

Many live, at best, removed from and insulated against the rhythms of the natural world and, at worst, with worldviews which assert humankind’s right to dominate, commodify, and deplete the land. As someone located within the Christian tradition, it grieves me to witness how scriptures, doctrine, and tradition have been co-opted by colonialism and capitalism to perpetuate a “functional Docetism” which “has numbed Christians to the escalating horrors of both ecological and social violence, because spiritual or doctrinal matters always trump terrestrial or somatic ones.”[2] Contrastingly, the Bible and the Hebrew scriptures in particular offer “a story and a discourse about the connection of a people to a place” and ecological stewardship as “implicit in that story’s insistence upon the land’s sanctity.”[3] In this vein, Ellen Davis, Professor of Bible and Practical Theology at Duke Divinity School and author of Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture, suggests agrarianism as a hermeneutic, or in other words, a lens through which one might read the scriptures and thus distill pertinent interpretations, meaning, and wisdom. Furthermore Davis claims, “Reading the work of contemporary agrarians can make us better readers of Scripture.”[4] That is a surprising suggestion amid a historical moment when most folks have little connection to the elements, let alone the process of food production. However, I wonder if each of us is nearer to the ethics of land and food than we might imagine:

Our largest and most indispensable industry, food production entails at every stage judgments and practices that bear directly on the health of the earth and living creatures, on the emotional, economic, and physical well-being of families and communities and ultimately on their survival. Therefore, sound agricultural practices depend upon knowledge that is at one and the same time chemical and biological, economic, cultural, philosophical, and (following the understanding of most farmers in most places and times) religious. Agriculture involved questions of value and therefore moral choice, whether or not we care to admit it.[5]

Davis’ framework, which connects spiritual matters with the physical matter of land and its proper or improper usage, invites me to revisit my strawberry scene and tease out some of the unseen complexities.

For one, my experience on The Abundant Table’s farm is inextricably shaped by social location as a college-educated white woman endowed with various sorts of capital which have allowed for my educational and immersive internship experience. My willful presence is so viscerally contrasted from the overwhelming majority of farmers in Ventura County, many of whom are Latino/a and working grueling 12-hour shifts for shockingly low wages. The gravity of the realization pains me when I feel the ache of my thighs and lower back from just a few hours of farm work. Farmer Reyna has shared with me a small glimpse of her experience working within conventional agricultural operations where farmers like herself monotonously harvest hundreds of acres of monocrops dusted with chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers. These conditions lead to horrendous illnesses, such as various cancers and late-onset asthma, not to mention the devastating effects upon the soil and the pollution to the surrounding air and water supply. Reyna compares these experiences to her time at The Abundant Table, where farmers are paid living wages and organic practices are used in ways that are honoring of the land and what it grants. She affirms, “It’s important that all work be dignified…My dirty clothes are my professional uniform. I believe it’s very important that youth have opportunities to work in the field and grow their own understanding of farm work, so they can begin to respect and value this work and the tremendous physical strength and earth-literacy it requires.”[6]

The earth-literacy Reyna describes is a lexicon I am continuously cultivating. As I explore and experience the uniqueness of this bioregion—where mountains dissipate into ocean and an intricate network of estuaries and waterways form a living, breathing watershed—I simultaneously encounter the historical, cultural, and religious narratives which have grown over these lands, and in the midst of all this newness I, a visitor, ask, what does this place and its people have to teach me about encountering the Triune God? What does it mean to join The Abundant Table community in the work of doing justice and loving mercy by transforming existing food systems? How can I live into the divine calling to recognize my location within creation and my responsibility to it, and to grow into a disciple of this particular watershed?

[1] Wendell Berry, foreword to Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible, by Ellen F. David (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), ix.

[2] Ched Myers, introduction to Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice, edited by Ched Myers (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016), 5.

[3] Berry, foreword to Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture, xi.

[4] Ellen F. Davis, Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), 22.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Sarah Nolan, Erynn Smith, and Reyna Ortega in “Growing from the Edges” from Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice, edited by Ched Myers (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2016), 151.

In Transition: A Mother's Perspective

Annesley Macfarlane is the mother of three sons: Sammy (UVa grad), William and Jamie.  She and her family live in Greenwich, Connecticut.  Summer is a time when many of us---parents, children, faculty---are in transition.   We've asked Annesley to talk about the changes her family experienced during the boys' college years and where she found God in the midst of it all.: I have a new motto: "Try and enjoy all you can about the minutes because they soon become years". I made it up last week as I reflected on the realities and emotions that often come in early June. June brings transition. Graduation. First jobs. Spring to summer. School to camps or summer internships. Most of these transitions are celebrations but many  can be tinged, or even paralleled, with sadness.  Where have the years gone?

Transition can't stall time, as perhaps we would wish, but it often fosters consideration of how we have lived. Should we have done things differently this past year, or years? Could we have done things better? Have we  built a strong enough Faith foundation? Were we attentive to God's direction for our family?

I watched our middle son drive out of our driveway this afternoon for his summer job 5 hours away. His last college exam was yesterday, he took the red-eye, and I picked him up at the airport this morning.  We washed his clothes and repacked them all day, squeezing in a few appointments he needed in town. We also managed to fit in a birthday celebration for my husband and a 5 minute family prayer time that felt too rushed. Our son was here 8 hours and then gone.

I knew today was precious.  I tried to absorb the minutes but the day has come and gone  and my heart aches. Yes, he is doing something wonderful this summer, even God-centered,  but it still hurts to see him go. Family is a beautiful design God gave us and it can be painful when the family no longer resides together most of the time.

I don't transition well. I am pretty sure I needed tissues at Pre-K graduation. I tend to prefer the "old days" and the "old ways" to all the change that is constantly thrust upon me. I am learning to store things up in my heart and to recognize that embracing what is ahead doesn't diminish what is behind. God gives us seasons. New adventures for us and for our children.

Colossians 1:10-12 is a wonderful passage and I pray it for our three boys. "And we pray this in order that you many live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light." Amen

Ginger, the Bonhoeffer House dog

"Happiness is a warm puppy." This old saying proves true at the Bonhoeffer House, where Ginger waits at the door, hoping desperately that you will come to visit.  Ring the doorbell and she goes wild, barking/beckoning the rest of the family to come greet you, too.  

Ginger can't boast a fancy breed.  She came to the Bonhoeffer House through an ad on Craig's List.  She dreams of biting the mail carrier.  She can shake paws, but that's it on the tricks.  She tends to shed. Her breath is not the freshest.  But Ginger can be relied upon to welcome each and every person who steps through the door (unless you're the mail carrier). 

Ginger doesn't ask for much.  For students away from home, missing their own dogs, Ginger is at the ready with her leash, delighted to go on walks around Grounds.  She patrols the crowd during weekly Vintage lunches, on the off chance that a bite of chicken will hit the floor.  She'll lie next to you as you study.  Her love is uncomplicated.

Ginger is our Theological Horizons mascot, a warm puppy of happiness.  She'll be looking out for you!

Backyard Baptisms | Reflections by Becca Pryor '17

“I now baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…”

Breathe in, close eyes, go under, come up, breathe out, open eyes, smile.

“…Amen!”

Underneath the mid-July sun, I found myself standing in the backyard of my host-family’s home in Richmond, looking upon the baptisms of 20 new brothers and sisters in Christ.  It was incredible how such a powerful and beautiful commitment could happen in the swimming pool that I passed by every single morning on my way to work as an intern for a local church.

Cheers, tears, and the applause of family members and friends echoed through the neighborhood after each person emerged from the water.  I looked up at my friend and fellow intern, Katie, and smiled at her through the tears that ran down my face.  Once we locked eyes we both started laughing amidst our tears; our hearts were exploding with joy and we took comfort in the other’s similar emotional response to what was happening in front of us.  

As I stood next to the pool I gazed upon the individuals getting baptized with eyes full of wonder and a heart full of love.  Children in elementary school and adults with decades of stories to be told walked into the water one by one, each ready to be fully submerged and commit their lives to Christ.

The group of individuals newly baptized gathered together on the steps of the pool once it was all over and I couldn’t help but feel overcome with a sense of connectedness toward each of them.  In that moment I felt the joy that radiated out of their hearts and saw God in each of them; the reflection of His image in them shined brightly that afternoon.  From the youngest boy to the oldest woman, God crafted each one of them carefully and thoughtfully in a way that magnificently mirrors who He is.  I looked upon the group and saw them as my siblings, as fellow human beings adopted into son-ship and daughter-ship by Jesus Christ, our Savior.  The bear-hugs and celebrating that took place once they came out can most accurately be described as familial and I mean that in the most whole and perfect sense of the word.

After most everyone headed home, all of us college-aged interns jumped into the pool and played water basketball, laughing alongside one another.  One of the interns amongst us was baptized just 30 minutes prior to the horseplay; how sweet an image it was to see her to freely play and celebrate in the water in which she had just made an eternal commitment to Christ.  The water used to welcome her into the family of Christ was also a space of freedom and joy, a space to share with others in community and laughter.

This past Sunday, I returned to Richmond to attend a second round of baptisms.  The same overwhelming sensations filled my heart; what an absolute honor it was to witness and celebrate new commitments to Christ yet again!  That morning, before baptisms, the pastor preached about the beauty that comes with being more God-aware and less self-aware.  The freedom that comes from focusing on a vision and purpose greater than us as individuals allows a ruthless trust in God to manifest itself in how we live out our lives and love one another.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are called to run fast next to one another in the path that God has laid out before us. 

The freedom that was experienced in the fun of playing in the pool that mid-July afternoon reflects the freedom and joy that comes along with aligning our hearts and minds towards God in a posture of worship, commitment, and love.  I am eternally thankful that God crossed my path with those whom I met this summer and am even more excited to spend an eternity with them in heaven.     

-Becca was a Horizons Fellow as well as Theological Horizons' Development Intern from '16-'17

SEEKING INCOMING UVa STUDENTS! Share the love!

We love to WELCOME the new Hoos to the Bonhoeffer House---a warm home away from home in Charlottesville--at the intersection of faith, thought & life.  

If you know a student headed for UVa, EMAIL US NOW at info@theologicalhorizons.org 

or FILL OUT THIS FORM NOW.

We'll send a hand written note before they even get here!

We personally deliver homemade cookies to dorms on Move In Day

We'll roll out the red carpet with a Wahoo Welcome Lunch on August 31: 12-2

We'll keep the invitations coming--for 4 years!

And for you new kids, here are some words from Sarah---a student who wants to tell you about why she keeps coming to the Bonhoeffer House...

It seems like the summer just got underway, but soon, Charlottesville will again be bustling with students new and old.

Come August, you will move into your new dorm home, you will meet all kinds of people with different stories, and you will experience new things. To some, this whirl of activity is exciting, while others find it unsettling and exhausting.

For many Christians, the start of college is a time to think about their faith, what it means, and how it intersects with their academic and social lives. At college your faith will be challenged differently than in past years. You will ask harder questions. You might even face doubt at times.

Theological Horizons serves the academic community by providing a welcoming place for engaging faith, thought and life. As a student, the Bonhoeffer House quickly became a place for me to rest in the midst of an otherwise busy week and to think about what it means to live the Christ-centered life.

I came to Vintage lunches on Fridays, in part to eat a delicious home cooked meal, but also, and perhaps more significantly, to feed on the wisdom and experience of Christian thinkers who came before me, who asked the hard questions and who fought to think well.

We serve a God who hears us in our sadness and in our joy. The readings at Vintage were a reminder of how God speaks and works both in my life and in the lives of so many people before me in all seasons. Think C.S. Lewis, Jean Vanier, St. Benedict, and Frederica Mathews-Greene. You will get the chance to know them too.

Their stories will encourage and impact you—telling you of the amazing and certainly real ways our God can work and speak. Their stories will remind you that you are not alone. The questions that might plague you now, have likely been asked before.

As Bonhoeffer said, “God has willed that we should seek and find his living Word in the witness of a brother, in the mouth of a person. Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him.”

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Should you decide to come (and I hope you do), you will learn from fellow students, but also people who lived and thought long before our time. As a recent graduate, I thank God for the gift that Theological Horizons was to me.

So please, come August, whether you are an incoming first year or not, make plans to visit Vintage, attend Evening Prayer on the Lawn, or participate in any one of the programs that Theological Horizons hosts at the Bonhoeffer House and around town.  Email Karen at info@theologicalhorizons.org and she'll put you on the invite list--then you won't miss anything!!

Talk by John Perkins & Charles Marsh - "Does God care about Justice?"

Click here to listen to the inspiring talk by John Perkins & Charles Marsh at Pepperdine University in April at their Veritas Forum - "Does God care about Justice?"

Seek First. Reflections by Fellow, Logan Haley '18

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 – Matthew 6:33

I feel as though I could let words of Jesus in the above verse just speak for itself. However, I suppose I should elaborate on how special and sweet, how comforting and challenging these words really are. They certainly have been that weighty for me, and I pray that they sink down deep into your soul as you read them. Take a minute… meditate on those words. Let them refresh you like a warm sip of your favorite hot drink. If you are looking for a simple life motto to live by, my hope is that perhaps this is what you can cling to.

When I reflect on my time at UVa (which I know many of us fourth-years are doing right now too), I think back through four years of fond memories: late night Cookout runs with friends, studying for exams while eating snacks at the Stud, laughing with housemates over ridiculous shenanigans, fall retreats, praying and reading Scripture in a garden by the Lawn at sunset, hugs from Miss Kathy, brother-sister small group hikes up Humpback… Then, I remember the many difficult moments as well: the nights of anxiety and immense stress; entire seasons of loneliness and depression, and the mornings where I would wake up wondering how I would get through the day. 

No matter the memory, I am overwhelmed with a recurring theme: God’s grace. His favor, which frankly, I don’t deserve. Yet there it is. God's grace is a common thread through every one of my lived experiences, even when I am completely unaware of it. Even in this moment, I zoom out to realize that I am… alive. I exist. I am breathing with the breath God breathed in me. Hundreds of millions of alveoli in my lungs are participating in gas exchange, while my heart’s ventricles and atria pump blood together in perfect harmony over 100,000 times a day to distribute oxygen to my body. (Okay, the pre-med geek in me is showing…) There are tens of thousands of daily miracles occurring to sustain our physical bodies. I wonder, how many more daily miracles sustain my soul? 

I so often take for granted just how good the Good News really is. When I think about it though… I was utterly dead in my sin and rebellion, which left me longing and empty; and now, I’m alive in Jesus. Because God Himself was willing to humble Himself to become a human, live a perfect life, and die the humiliating death I deserved, I am able to live in restored shalom (true peace and wholeness) with my Creator, presently and for eternity after death. Not only that – but we, as broken and flawed individuals, now get to partner with that same Creator in the greatest redemptive story of all time, sharing this reckless God-love with others. 

Wait. Stop. Really? What the heck! That is such good news! If you stop reading this post right now, but took away just how good the simple Gospel is, it would be more than enough.

I am reminded of the words my friend Jonah once told me: “The Gospel isn’t the old news, it’s the good news.”The Gospel is not simply a message that we hear once, but rather a daily reality of which we get to be a part. The Gospel is past, present, and future. The Gospel is Jesus, nothing else. Following Jesus is not a one-time decision, but a choice we get to make each morning when we wake up. We have the privilege of making the radical choice each day to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. And this is something that recently has meant a lot to me. My friend Abigail put it this way: “Choosing to wake up and follow Jesus each day is always a radical decision – just as radical as the day you decided to follow Him.” My friends, the pressure is off! We don’t have to try to perform big acts of righteousness for God to get Him to love us. The Apostle Paul said at the end of Romans 8 that nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God in Jesus. The Gospel really is that simple. Yet, it is the most profound reality in the world, taking an entire lifetime to understand and then live out.

Having a solid grasp of who God is and who we are will help us in every nook and cranny of our lives. Once we know who we are, we don’t have to worry about what to do, because we will naturally move in our identity as sons and daughters of the King. What is it, then, that makes Matthew 6:33 so significant? 

My second year, I was a part of a small group of guys that each latched onto a catchphrase throughout the year – “Seek First.” It became a way of life. Whenever we were trying to align our hearts with God or grow closer to Him as a group, we would encourage each other by asking, “How are we seeking first?” Whether it was relationships, friendships, academics, life goals, future plans, personal struggles, it seemed to always apply to everything: “I just need to seek first.” I have often pondered why the words “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” centered me so much.

Have you ever had too much to do, and not enough time to do it? Or have you ever done all you need to do, but still felt worried about how something would turn out? In most modern American contexts, especially in academic or professional settings, sorting out our priorities (plural) is a common practice due to hectic schedules and time constraints. What if it were simpler, and we had only one priority (singular) – the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? This way, our faith isn’t reduced to a To-Do List, perpetually checking off boxes like the Pharisees did. Matthew 6:33 comes right at the end of a passage where Jesus teaches about not worrying. To detach us from the subtle, yet heavy undertow of materialism, and to derail us from our cyclical patterns of worry, Jesus points us to the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. Jesus speaks to the Kingdom value of simplicity.[1]

Immediately, it is easy for me to counter Jesus’ words with thoughts like, “What about making sure I fulfill your exact calling on my life?” or, “What if I don’t make enough money?” or maybe, “I have been seeking first your kingdom and righteousness – look at all that I am doing for you!” (I don’t know if those thoughts resonate with you, too). But Jesus’ words have this way of debunking the lies and fears within me, working their way into each circumstance.

When I think of His kingdom, my mind quickly jumps to the external – how Jesus impacted others around Him for God’s glory. When I think of His righteousness, I think of the internal – how Jesus related to the Father, and of His character. Perhaps this is a helpful distinction in our pursuit of living this verse, but perhaps not. The question still remains: How exactly does one go about seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness? Is it to prioritize serving the poor and administering justice for the oppressed? Is it to serve in a church, or join a small group? Is it all about reading the Bible, prayer, and worship? Or maybe it’s to proclaim to everyone the good news about Jesus, and to make disciples. That must be it right? Theologian and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, in his book Christian Discourses,responds to this by saying: “No, thou shalt first seek God’s kingdom.But then in a certain sense it is nothing I shall do. Yes, certainly, in a certain sense it is nothing, become nothing before God, learn to keep silent; in this silence is the beginning, which is firstto seek God’s kingdom.”[2]

Seeking firstis more of a heart posture – a way to be. We must remember we were not created as “human doings,” but rather as “human beings.” What a relief this is! No longer is our faith only about doing all the right things, making sure each area of our life is aligned with God’s will – like trying to keep a bunch of cats in a full bathtub (which wouldn’t work very well…) If we align our hearts with His heart, we will naturally move in His will. 

However, this is perhaps the hardest part of seeking first: it’s dying to all our preconceived notions of what we think His kingdom and righteousness look like, and listening to God Himself to direct our steps. Then, and only then, will our actions be able to align with Matthew 6:33. God’s great irony (exemplified through the crucifixion and the resurrection) is: the extent that we die to ourselves is the extent that we truly live. Jesus taught this concept – humility leads to exaltation, and exaltation leads to humility (Matthew 23:12).

In my heart I have wrestled with God just as Jacob did over this whole concept. Matthew 6:33 challenges me to consider my own heart posture in everything – in putting others first, in serving the poor, in giving voice to the voiceless, in racial reconciliation, in disciple-making and reaching the lost, as well as in using my vocation and the opportunities God has given me for His glory. Having meaningful discussions this year in the Horizons Fellows Program about each of these things and more has made me more aware of that which God calls us out ofand calls us to. And it drives me back all the more to Matthew 6:33. I’ve learned so much from our Horizons Fellows community. One of the biggest things is how God’s will for our lives is not as much a linear path as many see it, but more of a green pasture to dance within – the type in which David was made to lie down (Psalm 23:2). 

Hopefully you find this as an encouragement in whatever season of life you find yourself in. For graduating fourth years especially, who may still be figuring out their next steps, or having doubts about the plans they have made, I hope this meets you right where you are. Though God may not bring perfect clarity about our futures, He brings something better – trust. Ultimately, seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness is the chief means for the liberation of our souls. Though nothing is more challenging, nothing is simpler either. Though nothing demands more of you, nothing will be as rewarding either. It was the way we were created to live. Seek God, and all the rest will fall into place.

[1]Wallace, Mary. The Live Dead Journal | Day 3 – Simplicity: Seek First His Kingdom. (Salubris, 2016.)

Edited by Dick Brogden.

[2]Kierkegaard, Søren. Christian Discourses(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1940) 322-344.