What does it mean to be with those who are far from God?
What does it mean to make our community with them? What does it look like if one sets their life aside to be on the edge of Christian communities, distant from the intimacy so as to invite others to Gospel life?
I had been anticipating this trip for several months, but I could never have prepared for what would happen when my time actually came.
Back in March, my Strategic Area Director (Phil Tatum), suggested that I spend some time with some campus ministries in preparation for my coming life as a campus ministers. Over the past six months we set up a visit with the staff of Sojourn Collegiate Ministries. September became the magic month, and so I added a trip to Boston, MA to what became my 11,000 mile itinerary for September. I did not know what to expect, and try as I may, I could not solidify good expectations for this 9-day visit. I hopped on the plane with a trust for the people who prepared this and an openness to what God might have for me, expectant of His work and a fruitful time together.
Expectant without expectations, I engaged in the work and rhythm of a fine team of campus ministers. My first few days gave me some powerful questions, my last week gave me a number of pictures that answer these. Somewhere amidst the countless train rides, cadres, and conversations I began to see a complex weave of how community, justice, and mission work together among those who are far from God. This was not just abstract desire, but lives committed to a specific context, living out these values to the point of great sacrifice. Faith is a tricky thing. Sometimes it is something you choose in the midst of fear. Sometimes it takes a more nebulous form, like trust in the midst of ambiguity.
Context.
Sacrifice.
A large part of my given task for the first several days was wrapped up in cultural exegesis. Hours and hours of my visit were spent exploring the campuses of 15 different colleges and universities. I turned all of my attention to trying to hear the stories of these contexts, listening for what it meant to be a human in this place and pondering what ways Jesus might be with these people. What does Gospel look like to this people, in this community, in this time?
My brain is full from this listening, and my heart is turned toward this city. I could not help but fall in love with the potential for Jesus’ ways on these campuses. My time of cultural listening instilled in me the understanding that if we are going to connect those who are far from God with His love, it cannot happen apart from a deep understanding of the story of the university.
The story and values of Sojourn stirred in me deeply. I want to live in the cross-section of community, justice, and Jesus. And yet, there is a reason these displays of ministry are hard to find. This is not an easy life.
Context matters. I must learn to listen.
As I heard the stories of the men and women connected with Sojourn, I saw that life on the edge of mission is life on the fringe of Christian community. To give oneself over and over again to the needs of a ministry context require an undying commitment to denying self. It is a daily task, to give up one’s rights and to lean toward faith. It is a daily task to understand that you might not get the support you desire, nor the results or outcomes you plan on.