Jeff Delp
Welcome to Jeff's Blog
Welcome to my blog. This will be an opportunity for me to share with you all the happenings in and around Mission Year Atlanta. My wife Katie (alum 2000/01), myself, and our son Sam enjoy being a part of Mission Year in Atlanta. Outside of Mission Year and my family, I spend my time watching soccer, riding my bike, and heading for the mountains to hike a bit.
Please join me on this journey this year!
Jeff Delp's Blog
I have been saved / Apr 2, 12:34 PM
Riding home on the 42 from downtown today, I had an unexpected experience. Now, I have seen plenty of street preachers in my time in downtown Atlanta, there is usually one on every corner of Five Points MARTA station (the main station downtown). But this particular experience was new for me.
A young man, about the same age as most of our MY participants, entered the bus and asked the driver if he could speak to the bus. At that moment, I knew that I was in for a treat!! The young man started out with some nice pleasantries, but then quickly moved on to what it was obvious he was there for, he wanted to pray for the bus. He asked everyone to bow their heads and pray with him, and to my surprise, most people did. He went on to pray for the trip home, to keep the bus safe, to enjoy the rest of the day, then he asked people to pray with him if they wanted to be saved. He lead people on the bus in a prayer asking for forgiveness of sins and asking Jesus into their heart. And then he was done, and he left the bus to go talk with some folks on the sidewalk waiting for another bus. Just that fast, I was saved. The problem is, I was already saved, and so were a majority of people on that bus if statistics are true.
The are many different things that I would love to unpack about this experience today. Issues of race, economics, theology, etc… all jump into my head. Lots of assumptions were made by this young man about the people on the bus, including me. I would love to know some of his motivations. But what sticks out in my head is here is someone out doing something about what he believes in. Even though I adamantly oppose the methodology behind his actions, I have to respect the man for putting himself out there for what he believes in. That is more than most of us can lay claim to.
The question for me after the experience today isn’t how do we prevent this young man, and all of the others like him, from being the face and voice of the Christian movement. But rather, how do we as Christians who love justice, who seek racial reconciliation, who desire economic justice, who desire community get our voices heard by the masses. It has been my experience that far too many non-believers (including the main stream media) associate Christianity with the man on the bus, and not with those of us that seek to take Jesus’ commandments seriously. And that is not the fault of the man on the bus, that blame should be placed solely on us for not getting the message out.
I don’t think that publicly speaking on a MARTA bus is the avenue to convey the message about justice, equality, racial reconciliation, and community. But I do think that just riding the bus opens up the dialog to begin the conversation with people that we have relationships with (as I did when I ran into someone I knew from the Open Door community on the train prior to this encounter). In Atlanta at least, it shows that we are in solidarity with those who must ride MARTA and who have been marginalized by where the live or the color of their skin.
So, I was thankful for the experience today. Not because I was saved, but because it encouraged me to take spreading the message of the gospel more seriously, albeit in a different form. I hope you do as well.
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An Evening in the Neighborhood / Mar 11, 01:27 PM
Spring is in the air. The temps are starting to rise above 60, day light savings time has made evenings long, and people are starting to be outside a little more. We love spring time in our neighborhood and hence we decided to take advantage of it and take a stroll to the park. Going to the park has become more enjoyable since our son has been born because he absolutely loves to swing, so it is a time that we look forward to as a family.
When we got the park this evening, there were about 7-8 young men playing basketball. By all inclinations, the game was pretty subdued and it appeared as if they were just minded their own business and enjoying some recreation. While we were swinging with our son, we saw a neighbor walking his dog and we struck up a conversation. He began to tell us of his plans to change the park and asked if we would be willing to have some input. He began to tell us that he hoped to get rid of the basketball court and turn the park into a tennis center (mind you I see people playing basketball almost everyday and I have never seen anyone play tennis there). According to this neighbor, the basketball court draws the “undesirables” and causes a commotion.
Evidently, this particular week and the previous weekend had seen some incidents involving some fights and some other trouble at this particular park. This neighbor warned us of this before we ended our conversation. My wife and I didn’t worry about it too much, and just continued to enjoy our evening with our son. A few minutes later a police officer showed up to the park. After about 5 minutes of talking with the young men playing basketball, the officer came over to my wife and I. He asked if we knew one of the gentlemen playing basketball and we said no. He then warned us that gun fire had been reported in the park within the last half hour and we should be careful. We thanked the police officer for the information but told him that we had been in the park during that time, and that there was no gunfire while we had been there. He went on to warn us that trouble had been reported repeatedly at the park, especially in the early afternoon when the adjacent high school lets out. He again warned us to be careful and that we should think about not coming to the park during that time. Again, we thanked him for his advice, but advised him that we would most likely be coming to the park during that time.
You see, while I believe in a level of being smart and not putting yourself in dangerous and stupid situations, I also believe that half of the problems that occur in neighborhoods likes ours and those that Mission Year serves are precisely because people are not out. We are told as a society that we should be afraid of our surroundings and therefore we should stay within the comfort of our secure homes. But while those of us that could bring a positive influence to the streets stay indoors, we leave those that seek to do harm the freedom to do what they want. I don’t believe that the police officer should have told us to stay away from the park because it was dangerous. I believe that the police officer should have asked us to get as many people as we can to come to the park during all hours of the day so that the park would be safer. To me, that is taking a burden off of the police, and making life better for everyone.
As a follower of Christ, the question becomes, what does God call us to do in these situations. Do we make a decision to go to the park based on what is best for us and our family? Our do we make a decision to go to the park based on what is best for the neighborhood. In trying to follow the great commandment, to love god with all of my heart, and to love my neighbor as myself, I believe that I need to make my decision to go the park based on what is best for the neighborhood because ultimately, that is what is best for both myself and my community. I am loving myself, my community, and my God. If I choose to stay indoors, I neglect the part of God’s commandment to love my neighbor as myself. To me, that is counter to what Christ calls us to as Christians.
This evening is exactly what Mission Year is about. You are constantly going to be told to be careful and to be safe from friends, family, pastors, people in your church during Mission Year, and your City Director during Mission Year. And that is not necessarily a bad thing. All of those people care deeply about you and that is good. But as you spend time in your community, you will begin to learn (again, assuming basic levels of not being stupid) that the more and more you are out and about, the safer you will feel, and the safer your neighborhood will be, not only for yourself, but for your whole community. You will be ministering by being a presence in your community, and that is exactly what Mission Year is, a ministry of presence.
The Georgia Primary / Feb 3, 10:10 PM
This Tuesday Georgians will get a chance to go to the polls and vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries for the President of the United States. Much has been said about the Democratic candidates being either the first African-American candidate or the first female candidate to be nominated by one of the two major parties. Truly, either scenario will be a historic occasion and one that the country should pride itself in even if you disagree with their political views.
Something that gets lost in the shuffle of the media blitz on this campaign is that just 50 years ago an African-American could not even vote in a Democratic primary in the south, let alone be the candidate on the ballot. Up until the 1950’s, Democratic primaries were considered “white only” events. The Democratic party claimed that the primaries were “private club” events and thus they were able to be segregated. Because the Republicans were seen as the party more sympathetic to the causes of African-Americans up until the 1950’s and early 60’s, they did not have much support amongst white southerners. Hence, the Democratic Primary often stood as the de-facto general election for Georgians, and states all across the south. This meant that African-Americans who were eligible to vote, which were few in numbers to begin with, were even more disenfranchised.
Today, 50 years after the voting laws of the south began to be changed to allow more freedom in voting, an African-American man has his name listed on the ballot of the Democratic Party. This is truly an amazing accomplishment and a testimony to where we have come as a country. However, we should not, and can not afford to forget the past. A past that many of our neighbors, parents, and grandparents can vividly recall through events that they have lived through. A past that saw a system keep people from exercising their right to vote simply because of the color of their skin.
So if you vote in the Georgia primary, or any other southern primary this week, or in the coming months ahead, be it either the Democratic or the Republican primary, take a moment to reflect on what is transpiring in this election. Take a moment to reflect on both how far we have come in healing our racial divide and also how far we still have to go. This is truly a historic election, particularly for those of us living in the south, and it is an event that I hope to reflect upon as I cast my ballot on Tuesday.
- This is in no way an endorsement of any candidate for political office.
Beloved Community on the Bus / Jan 25, 10:20 AM
I love to ride public transportation. It is one of the biggest reasons that I desire to live in an urban area. I love the freedom it gives to all persons of society regardless of status. Kids, elderly, disabled, those who cannot afford cars, all can enjoy the benefits of a decent public transit system equally. Riding public transit puts one in close proximity with people that they wouldn’t necessarily be around under circumstances of their own choosing, which for me adds a little variety to life that I enjoy. It enables you to interact with the city more as the destination becomes less important and the journey becomes more important as you pass through neighborhoods, coffee shops, parks, etc…
This morning’s journey downtown on the bus started relatively normally for me, waiting for a bus that was 10 minutes late. As the bus continued along its route to downtown through various neighborhoods, it continued to fill up until it was standing room only. The bus was full of people going to work, school, or like myself, to run errands. I was enthralled with a book, Jesus and the Disinherited (yes I read curriculum books too MY folks!!) when I noticed a person in a wheel chair getting onto the bus at a stop. Because the bus was packed full, 10-12 people had to leave their seats and their standing positions to make room for the person in a wheel chair to fit into the spot of the bus reserved for such an occurrence. Not only that, the 30-40 other people on the bus had to wait 4-5 minutes as the bus driver assisted the person as she got strapped into place.
What amazed me about this process was not that people actually got up, or that the bus even had a place for a wheel chair, or that the MARTA bus driver was helpful; I was amazed at everyone’s reaction on the bus. People got up and moved without saying a word, or if they did say a word, it was to the person in the wheel chair because they knew her. No one on the bus was audibly upset at the bus taking an extra 5 minutes to get downtown because of the person in the wheel chair. It was at that moment that I realized that the bus was a community. We were all part of a community. Our common goal was to get downtown, but we couldn’t do it by ourselves, we could only do it together. There was nothing any one person could do, maybe save the bus driver, to get downtown faster. We were all in it together, and it benefited all of us to work together so that we could all get to where we wanted to go faster.
Now contrast this with a similar example on the highway. Instead of a person with a disability, imagine a car with a disability. A car is disabled on the side of I-75/85 on its way to downtown during the morning commute. In good Atlanta fashion, even though it is pulled off to the side of the road, it slows traffic down. Instead of all of the traffic stopping to wait for the disabled car to get the help it needs and move on, 1,2, or 3 cars can inch by at a time. Gradually, cars try to move over to the lanes that are allowing traffic through because they as an individual can get by and get to where they want to go. The person with the car that is disabled is left until either someone chooses to care, or professional help is summoned to their aide.
The two instances provide a stark contrast in how we relate to one another as a society. On the bus, everyone had the same fate and each individuals fate could not be altered by their own choosing, no matter how hard they tried (unless they wanted to walk the 2 miles to downtown). On the highway, each passing car could change their own fate by getting into the correct lane and waiting their turn to get by. What ensued on the bus was a community that allowed space and time for anybody and everybody to get to where they wanted to go equally. What ensues on the highway is a each man for themselves, firsts be first mindset in which only those with the means can get by, the disabled driver doesn’t get by.
A popular question these days in light of rising gas prices and talk of global warming is, What would Jesus Driver? What if we dropped the “what” and just asked, “Would Jesus Driver?” That is maybe an answer that we don’t want to hear, but as I continue to traverse the city on bus and train, I have become more and more aware of the missed opportunities to build community and relationships when we are sitting behind the wheel of a car. I find myself part of another community when I ride the bus and train and that seems right to me. In the end, I was glad that I choose to ride the bus downtown this morning instead of driving and I will continue to try to do it in the future.
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Martin Luther King Day in Atlanta / Jan 18, 07:11 AM
After living in Atlanta for the past 6+ years, I have begun to take for granted that the MLK holiday is appropriately celebrated here in the birthplace of Dr. King, at least in terms of the attention it gets. Over the next few days, the news stations and newspapers will lead in with the activities surrounding the MLK weekend instead of the normal robbery and murder stories that they normally lead with. I forget how many other parts of the country only give the holiday a little attention, if any at all.
However, I wonder if even in Atlanta, the holiday has seemed to have lost some of its luster. I wonder if Dr. King was around today, what would he say about the holiday named for himself. On Monday, all of the politicians will fight for a spot close to the cameras and will make speeches lauding Dr. King and the progress we have made as a nation since his assassination forty years ago. The celebration here in Atlanta has turned into a sort of hero worship and agenda pushing rather than justice pushing. Please hear me, Dr. King’s life and legacy are definitely worth remembering and honoring, I am not suggesting we end that.
But I wander if instead of having a star-studded service in the New Horizons Sanctuary of Ebenezer Baptist, a rally was held on the steps of Grady Memorial Hospital to bring light to the injustice of its possible closing, or a rally was held on Buford Highway to help bring some of the same civil rights that were fought for 45 years ago amongst the African American community to the Latino community today, or if people went to their local schools to demand more funding to schools instead of watching precious resources fund a useless, overly expensive war which robs our communities of our young people (this reminds me of my favorite bumper sticker: It will be a great day when: Schools will have all of the funds they need and the military will have to hold bake sales to raise money).
To me, those would be better ways of remembering the legacy of Dr. King than what will happen this weekend. The problem is that Sonny Perdue (Governor of Georgia) wouldn’t show up on the steps of Grady, or at a store in Plaza Fiesta, or speak out against the war, nor would more than half of the other politicians that will set foot in the service honoring Dr. King on Monday. And yet, those are the things that Dr. King stood for. Dr. King was a drum major for justice. In one of his final sermons, Dr. King talked about being remembered not for his accomplishments but for his actions. And yet, as we begin to celebrate Dr. King’s life and legacy this weekend, we are doing exactly what he asked us not to.
So as you begin to think about how you will celebrate the King holiday next week, think about what Dr. King stood for and do it. Don’t stop at thinking about it, or remembering it, do it. That is the legacy of Dr. King. He was a great orator and a great motivator, but ultimately, he was an amazing doer. His words were not empty. He led with his feet, not his mouth. Go out there and demand justice. Stand up and speak out against those forces that are trying to promote an unjust world. That will truly be celebrating with Dr. King and not just his legacy.
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