I BELIEVE
…God desires for us to carry out the gospel with all our being in every corner of life…
Tattoos occupy much of the space on his arms, he smokes a cigarette on the rare occasion when he feels stressed, he has an occasional beer among peers, he has many friends who look very different than he, and several close friends who reject any religion at all. The sketch or assumptions one may have in the mind now are likely not accurate and are not what make the man who he is.
Through and through my friend Josh reveals the gospel of Jesus Christ in the most holistic and loving way.
He loves Jesus with all of his heart. That’s not to say that he is perfect or always does what is “best,” but he chooses to live out his life among people and struggle through these things instead of secluding himself from life to avoid the realization of sin (which is impossible). Josh graduated from college the same time I did with a degree in social work, which he uses to better the community of Over-the-Rhine in Cincinnati.
You must know Over-the-Rhine suffers the classic problems of poor inner city neighborhoods, including population decline, homelessness, high crime rate, increased segregation, building abandonment by absentee owners, high unemployment rates, lack of access to political power, and the issue of usable space for the poor taken to put in things like doggy parks and expensive high rise condos for the up-and-coming. OTR is “that area” everyone is told to avoid.
Josh is now a case manager for OTR Community Housing, which fights for and provides affordable housing for people coming off the streets as well as educational programs for the community. He has moved into this very community as a commitment to love and serve the people. Slow to anger or impatience, he is often called to handle disputes at all hours or address maintenance issues in sub-standard housing on the same street which he lives. He participates in countless art programs for inner-city children, invites local youth and children to take part in bettering their community with art or clean-up projects, he listens to different kinds of music so he can learn to appreciate it and understand others better, and spends his days fighting for equality among this predominantly black community in terms of education, housing, and public space. He is always ready to educate and love on others.
More importantly, he is not shy about what he believes but does not force it upon the many non-believers he befriends. What convinced me of his Jesus-quality was a conversation I had with some friends we have in common, who happen to be among those who reject Christianity and “organized religion” in general.
One piped up that:
“he is how I picture Jesus would be…his demeanor…
he loves and treats people as I picture Jesus would.”
Josh cares for the poor, orphaned, widowed, and alienated as Christ’s love compels him too. I am convinced I must bring the light of the gospel to every corner of my life…
…especially the dark corners.
