A Just Spirit

Hello everyone,
I'd like to use my post this week to share some thoughts and feelings about a special program and special group of people that I have gotten to know very well over the last thirty weeks.  The program is called JustFaith, and the people are my (now) friends who decided to give this program a try like I did.

What is JustFaith? Well, without taking up too much of your time, JustFaith is a nationally recognized thirty-week faith-based program started by a man named Jack Jezreel. The program centers itself around major social justice issues that our nation/world faces today (i.e. poverty, racism, immigration, world hunger, environmentalism, rights of workers, and other human rights issues).  Through weekly meetings where the groups has fruitful discussions, watches videos, listents to guest speakers, the group begins to recognize the face of God in the midst of these often politicized issues that tend to polarize the population.  The program aims to de-polarize people through exposure to these serious issues.

Who are the people from my JustFaith family?  Well, first of all, we are all seekers of God in our own lives. Beyond that, our group of fourteen people consisted of men and women covering a span of ages and life experiences.  More specifically, our group consisted of college students, young professionals, mothers, grandmothers, fathers, grandfathers, and a priest.  These very broad descriptions serve only to give you a cursory glance into the diversity of our group.  Keep in mind that we all entered the group with different upbringings, different motives for joining the group, and different political views.  Yet, by the end of the group, we were all unified by our commitment to each other and to the program.

One of the major underlying themes of the entire JustFaith was all about becoming aware of the world beyond our individualism so that we might better contribute to the common good of our local, state, federal, and global neighbors.  Looking out of ourselves and into the eyes and hearts of our fellow human beings can be very hard. However, as our group discovered, once we allowed ourselves to be open to the compassion, the knowledge, and the stories of others, we had no choice but to consider how we might transform our lives for the greater good of our society.  What a frustrating yet encouraging charge!  The charge is frustrating because we now know who and what really needs help and the task seems daunting, but it is encouraging because we know that we are vital and valuable people that can promote positive change in our world.  I can truly say that as a a now graduate of the JustFaith program, I sense the Spirit in my life so much more than I could have thought possible thirty weeks ago.

Rather than conclude with my usual prayer, I leave you with one of our prayers from the program that has resonated with me deeply:

"We are disciples on a journey.  We are the Body of Christ broken for this world.  Let this prayer echo in our hearts throughout the week as we walk, while we work, when we rest, and as we pray for one another."

peace