Eshleman's Blog
Welcome to Atlanta / 09.18.08, 01:20 PM
From Rusty:
This is a rather long entry. My apologies for that, and I’ll try to keep them shorter in the future. You can check here weekly to see if we’ve updated our blog. We do not have internet access at our home, but we’ll do our best to not leave huge gaps of silence.
Formulating all my thoughts, feelings, and reflections into coherent and concise paragraphs seems an overwhelming task at this point. Over the past two weeks I have ingested so much from speakers and training sessions that my brain is overloaded.
Last week all 95 MY participants were at God’s Farm, a huge plot of land owned by Larry Teems and his family. The Teems open up their farm (full with a pavilion, cabins, and meeting tent) to groups for retreat from the city and the business of life. There, we heard from men & women who are very passionate about following Jesus and loving “the least of these.” From university professors to after school program directors, to missionaries, and storytellers, these folks brought their A-game to help equip us for ministering in urban contexts.
Here is my attempt to share my reflections from the past few weeks:
White:
I am much more aware of my race than I have ever been. From elementary school to college I can probably count on 2 hands the number of people of color I talked to on occasion and on 1 hand the number I new personally. Atlanta’s population offers an array of colors, but the majority of people are black or African American. For once in my life, I am a minority. I will never know what it feels like to be a person of color; my white skin prevents me from experiencing the racial profiling and bigotry that some of my new friends must have faced time after time and still do. However, I am aware of my whiteness. I stand out and have to wonder if the people on the bus or train or corner think, “Oh, he’s white. What’s he doing here?” This is a new experience on which I am reflecting.
Learn:
I am in a culture of leaders who are challenging me to look outside myself and explore the traditions of different Christian denominations, of different cultures, different communities, and different people. I am being encouraged to seek to understand before I seek to be understood, to let go of how I think things (church, education, worship, etc.) should be done and to look, listen, and learn from the experiences of others. What a wonderful, terrifying, and bold admonition.
Serve:
This idea of servitude keeps running through my mind: “This year, I want to always err on the side of service and respect. To be the one who takes the initiative and who puts forth effort and who goes out of his way for the sake of another. If the butter needs put away and I’m not sure if anyone else needs it, I should put it away. If a conflict needs resolved, let me begin the conversation that brings reconciliation. If a neighborhood kid wants to come to my house, I will walk to his house with him to ask his parents if it’s okay. If I’m not sure where the property line is on the sidewalk, I’ll sweep well past where I think it might be.
The other morning we read John 13 where Jesus washes his disciples’ feet. I challenged my community to think of modern equivalencies to foot-washing. We thought of sweeping another’s porch, or cleaning a garage, or washing a toilet.
Neighbors:
We met some folks who live across the street named Michael, Diane, and Lisa. Apparently, they all live in a semi-independent group home. They have welcomed us to the neighborhood and have even told us some of their precious stories. Lisa was in a car accident at the age of 18 and has lived in group homes ever since. She and Diane met last year and moved to Atlanta a few days ago. I guess we’re all strangers in a foreign land together. Michael is very talkative and always asks if I know where a guy can get a job around here. I’m not sure if he’s asking for his own sake or because he thinks I’d like to get one. He also tells me that he used to be in a biker gang and had a really long beard. The ladies really like the beard, but some people called him a shepherd. He tells me he didn’t like the shepherd part. He makes me laugh a lot, is very friendly, and is around the block quite a bit. I’m looking forward to seeing Jesus in these folks and sharing him with them.
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Dude, sounds like you have some cool neighbors. You and Renae have a cool opportunity!
By Adam / Sep 18, 06:41 PM / #
Hey buddy, love the ideas about service. Good thoughts. Can’t wait to hear more about the wonderful people you’ll love and be a part of in your neighborhood. Add to the beauty, my friends, add to the beauty.
By Drew / Sep 24, 10:32 AM / #