At every point in history, humans seem to have missed the point on some major moral, social, or religious issue. From the crusades to colonialism to slavery, Christians are not exempt from the phenomenon. If the religious leaders of Jesus’ time largely misunderstood him, who are we to say that we are any different? What are we missing the point on today? What is the great injustice of our age that as a whole, we have yet to see? What …
Below is an excerpt from a book I read recently about the Fugees Family and Clarkston, Outcasts United: a refugee team, an American town, by Warren St. John. The author articulates my world better than I could. Enjoy. Such moments of despair and deep frustration were common among those who worked in refugee resettlement in Clarkston. The work had a Sisyphean* quality. Individual refugee families often needed more help than an individual could give, and because new families kept arriving, …
Something to think about. What do you know that you haven’t learned from someone else? For example, I got this question from a training session we had a month ago on Transformational Change by David Hooker. The question continues to place life in the proper perspective. We are the product of every experience we have ever had. Even the great inventors were influenced by those who broke ground before them. In the beginning was only God. Who am I to …
Let me apologize beforehand. I seemed to have temporarily lost sight of objectivity. This one turned more into a vent than a forum. But hey, it’s my blog, and I can whine if I want to. What’s so emergent about the emergent church movement? The conversation still looks too much like the old one. Deconstructionism needs to become less about postmodern rhetoric and more about justice seeking pragmatism. The incessantly repetitive literature has become nothing more than circumlocution. There is …
This one has been discussed ubiquitously and passionately in our community. I wanted to share it with you, so that you can share your thoughts as well. Because we live in a religiously diverse community, this issue is indeed intensified. But for others in more homogeneous social environments, I will try to give some background information to help contextualize the question. Note: My intent is not to support any particular argument, but to simply ask the questions. Please forgive any …
[1] I have approximately three months left in Clarkston, and as I have reflected on how I would like to spend the remainder of my time here, I cannot help but be drawn towards relationships: with my community, with my neighbors, and with you. I’m still surprised that there are people out there that actually read this besides my mom and girlfriend. For those of you who have followed my journey, I hope that the spirit has led you to …
Above is a picture of me with my sister, Amanda. My name is Stephen Johnson. I was born in South Korea, and I was adopted when I was four months old. I am 23 years old from The Woodlands, TX, and have lived in the great state of Texas for the majority of my life. I recently graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree. When my time in Clarkston is through, I would like to continue …
“Dust of Snow” The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued. – Robert Frost (1874-1963) There is something unifying about an experience that happens only once a year; in our case, it was snow. At one point, there were probably 30 people in our parking lot fully engaged in all out snowfare battle. It …
On Reconciliation: The overwhelming story of the Bible is a God redeeming his creation, reconciling his people back to himself. All of creation groans for the completion of this process. {Including me} To me, reconciliation is evidence that God is still capable of miracles; hutu and tutsi, black and white, Burmese and Karen, Brahmin and Dalit, Sunni and Shia, Israeli and Palestinian, Fatah and Hamas, Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, pro-life and pro-choice, indigenous and imperialist, immigrant and nationalist, …
This is a video of the MLK Jr. Memorial Day at the community center where I serve in the mornings during the week. I enjoyed the historical significance of being in Atlanta for that day and the ensuing inauguration. From my journal, 1/19/09: “It seems critical to designate yesterday and today as moments in my life in which I will always remember {MLK and Inauguration}. Regardless of political affiliations, a time of such historical proportions deserves ample space indelibly etched …
Let me tell you a story. A story too compelling to keep God’s glory from being revealed. Within our community (For future reference – when I use the word community, I am referring to the seven of us who live and serve together) we have specifically designated Saturdays as time to intentionally spend developing relationships with our neighbors. One Saturday several weeks ago, I decided to take several neighborhood refugee kids to a movie. I borrowed a van, recruited a …
As all of you know, and many of you have experienced, the existing economic situation currently dictates much of our thoughts and actions. We are forced to rethink the way that we act, and act ourselves into entirely new ways of thinking. The uncomfortable nature of change is that it forces us to ask questions that we may not always have the answers for: “How will I pay the bills?” “What is the best decision for my family?” “Where can …
To whom it may concern, Per your request: I, Stephen Johnson, as a participant and representative of the Mission Year program, have no affiliation or partnership with the Fugees Family. I volunteer my time to help tutor the kids in the evening, but do not have, nor seek to have, any official relationship with the Fugees organization. Thank you, Stephen Tweet
Living with six other people is hard. We are all intricately woven people coming from completely different threads of life. We are all at different stages along the way. In reality, we have relatively few things in common. Some of us are introverts. Some of us are extroverts. Some of us come from wealth. Some from poverty. We all grew up doing things differently. To some, it’s pop, another it’s a soda. To me, they’re all just coke. It’s in …
I seem to get this question a lot. Here is a more detailed schedule for those of you who are curious… My highly tentative Weekly Schedule Monday Devotions @ 7am Clarkston Community Center – 8am-12pm Friends of Refugees – 1pm – 5pm Fugees Tutoring – 6pm – 7:30pm Tuesday Devotions – 7am Clarkston Community Center – 8am – 12pm Friends of Refugees – 1pm-4pm Fugees Tutoring – 4:30 – 6pm Family Dinner and Issues night @ 7:30pm Wednesday Devotions @ …
Stephen’s October Newsletter… With October comes many changing seasons. The leaves slowly start to rust and fall, the mist in the mornings begins to feel cool and crisp, and my neighbors are beginning to look more like my neighbors. The foreign feelings of all things new has faded to a more subtle familiarity. Autumns in Georgia are beautiful. God seems saves His most creative work for this time of the year. October has brought many changes to my life as …
Matt always says that “life is too important to take seriously” Somedays, life is hard and we just need to laugh…this is your invitation to join us… Q: How do we know Peter was a rich fisherman? A: By his net income. Q: What kind of lights were on the ark? A: Floodlights. Q: What animal could Noah not trust? A: The Cheetah. Q. What kind of motor vehicles are in the Bible? A. Honda…because the apostles were all in …
From Left to Right: Matt – from Monroe, Connecticut. Matt is the old man of the group at 26 years old. Right now, he’s training for a marathon on Thanksgiving Day in Atlanta, so he runs a lot. Stephanie – from Louisville, Kentucky. Stephanie likes organic food, the earth, and fixed gear bicycles. 21 years old. Kelley – from Hobbs, New Mexico. Kelley is a talented musician. He plays guitar at our church sometimes. 19 years old. Kathrine – from …
Wherever there is conflict, violence, torture, genocide, disaster, and pain in the world, that is where my neighbors are from. They are refugees fleeing all things familiar to a new land with a different language, a different culture, a different set of unwritten rules, a different everything. Noone is here because they are on vacation. They each have their own horrendous stories. They have experienced things that I cannot even imagine. Some bear the scars of torture. Some are blind. …
Some of you have requested that I make this available. Here it is: Friends and Family, This Fall I am embarking upon a new adventure. I have chosen to join hands with a faith-based, service organization called Mission Year. Mission Year is a year-long program that recruits passionate young people to relationally pursue justice in some of the toughest neighborhoods in our nation. I have been placed in Clarkston, Georgia, fifteen miles northeast of Atlanta. Clarkston is a city of …
