Signing off

Friends,

It has been a month now since I returned from a summer in Cape Town. I am happy to report that my time there ended very well; I was able to offer some helpful comments to the Warehouse about their micro-economic development program, WorkSpring, and was also able to spend some great quality time with friends before getting on the plane for Memphis.

As I enter my final year at Covenant College, I am drawn to several memories from a summer in Cape Town, a place of incredible socio-economic inequality, physical beauty, and political history. These are things that  characterized my experience there and will, almost certainly, continue to inform the way in which I think about my own calling, my life of faith, and my work for the Kingdom. In short:

-A further shaping of my call to serve the poor in the political world. At present, I am pursuing job opportunities in D.C. for next year.

-The persistent, subtle nature of the enemy’s attack on those that follow Jesus. Learning to recognize the lies he whispers, and rebuking them, is of central importance to the life of faith.

-Living as a sign of the Kingdom, regardless of whether it alleviates poverty or raises awareness. We are called to anticipate future shalom by the way that we choose to live.

-Christian community as a place where people are constantly asking questions, not just trading answers.

-The value of disciplined reading.

-The working of righteousness in our hearts as a gift of the Spirit. When planted in our hearts, the Word which has been given to us is then, by His power, worked in us (to paraphrase Luther).

-Deep, deep joy as the witness of victory (recall that Paul tells us we are, in Christ, more than conquerors).

Still other ways in which I grew deeply this summer are not things which one can easily pen. However, both the spoken and unspoken gains from twelve weeks abroad serve as “ebenezers” to the faithfulness of our God. His ongoing work of salvation in my life is a story that I continue to receive in disbelief and in awe.

I thank you for your generosity in giving, in prayer, and in encouragement this summer. What an immense blessing you all are to me.

In the coming season, may the Lord visit you with His compassion, His acceptance, and His heart for Kingdom building here on earth.

Let’s stay in touch, all. I love you guys. Thanks again.

Christian