| JSC Board of Directors Reflection The Rev. Robert Fruehwirth, rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, Hillsborough, NC When someone cares for the marginalized, those deemed of no worth, the Christian sees in them the presence of Christ. As St. James wrote, “Pure religion is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress.” When diverse people gather in authentic community to share in life, support each other’s well being, and collaborate in mission to others, the Christian sees in them a prefiguration of the Beloved Community that God yearns to create. When people confess that they seek a deep connection to meaning, purpose, compassion, wholeness, and goodness — spirituality — the Christian sees this as the activity of the Divine Spirit in them, opening them to God’s great desire. In Johnson Service Corps, our Fellows do all these things. Through placements in local non-profits, they care for the marginalized and those in distress. In their communal living — reminiscent of the early monastics — they create intentional community with people previously unknown to them, learning to live with and care for each other, exploring and celebrating life together. Our Fellows also see their 10.5 months in Johnson Service Corps as a time to pursue spiritual deepening in many different traditions. In all this, I see the presence and action of God in their lives, choices, and actions. As an Episcopal priest, I am deeply grateful for my faith in the ‘poor man from Nazareth’ as God’s Word and the gift of Jesus’ Spirit to us. I’m grateful for how I see the Gospel being realized as the most tragic and painful parts of life, mine and others, are transformed into avenues for a mysterious sort of joy and love and grounding. Prayer opens us to a sharing of life with God, a rich and challenging communion that moves me daily. I am grateful too for the Christian promise of a coming Beloved Community where, as a poet once wrote, “all that was done without love will be undone, and all that was said without love will be unsaid.” Yes, and yes! At the same time as I am grateful for my Faith, I am aware too of a further and humbling mystery for those who call ourselves Christian: the Church, with its explicit faith, often has to be reminded of its calling by those outside of itself. The prophet’s voice often comes to the church most clearly from those outside the usual church hierarchies and definitions. And this is precisely the power of Johnson Service Corps. This is why it is so supported by our Christian communities. We see in it the work of God in the Fellows’ mission of serving the marginalized, building Beloved Community, and seeking to grow spiritually. It is a prophetic witness to our own calling and the priorities of our Baptismal Covenant. I know Johnson Service Corps is of inestimable value to the Fellows — many alumni speak of it as the most transformative year of their lives. I know JSC creates strong future leaders in communities and churches across the world. Praise God! But I also see in JSC a prophetic witness to those of us in the Church, reminding us of our own calling, reminding us what Jesus looks like, and how and where are invited to find true life. For this I am profoundly grateful. |