This week I am thinking about how our work so far has invited shifts, experiments and ideas in the way i approach my leadership. Right now, I am finding myself in the ideating stage of creating and dreaming for what is next in my leadership and career. Connection has been one of the biggest gifts for me in this season. Apart from meetings with Jer and Osheta, I’ve surprisingly recently met two people doing peacemaking work/studying in this field – one studying at the University of Edinburough and one studying in Jerusalem.
My connection with Aryanna – an individual studying at the University of Edinburough was particularly interesting as she worked for Redeeming Babel and worked on “The After Party,” a book I fascilitated discussion for with students at Vanguard. This connection introduced me to a lot of organizations doing similar work I am interested in – bridging the gap between political divides amongst students and striving for truth-telling and justice on campuses. This work is so exciting to me as I think about how I can do this work myself on my campus or any school I work for.
As I ideate, I am now in the position of being curious about bringing this all together. To paraphrase Nina Barnes, what is my thinking/ideating for? I can be really talented at ideating – but a time must come when I put writing on the wall. I am anxious to get my feet wet in action and doing the work of mending political and spiritual divides that exist where I am!
5 comments
Thanks for sharing this Justin. I have also read the “After Party” curriculum but haven’t yet done it with a group of people. I would like to hear more about how that small group study impacted you and your community sometime.
Justin, I really appreciate how you’ve taken what you are learning and what is stirring in you, and have already used it as fuel to begin to implement practices in your context. Way to go!
Justin, it sounds to me like you have already jumped in with both feet if you are facilitating student discussion groups about our very “heated” political identity culture! Such important conversations that I fear will face greater consequences if our current administration has it’s desired way with higher education. I pray you will move forward in peace and confidence as God leads you to what is ahead!
Justin – I appreciate how you identified the shift from ideating to curiosity. I think I might be in a similar position but have always had a hard time of describing it. Looking forward to hearing more about what you are exploring and the work you are moving towards.
I can resonate with this. I feel like I am pretty good at activist dreaming. Activist action is another thing. It is comforting to know that there are others who like to ideate-but don’t want to get stuck there. I encourage you in the move towards getting your feet wet.