Arriving to Austin
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it. — Marianne Williamson
Dear friends, warmest hellos to you and your loved ones from Austin!
I woke up this morning, day five in the city, with a sense that I have finally arrived. It has been a journey — two buses, countless trains, one airplane — from my home in Maryland to one week of orientation at Stony Point in New York to finally our home at the AYAVA house (Americorps and Young Adult Volunteers) at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I am deeply grateful to you, my friends, family, and supporters who make this journey possible.
Our year began on August 21st, the auspicious day of the eclipse, when we converged at Stony Point Center for orientation. During our week together, we gathered as as the full cohort of 70 Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs) with several alumni facilitators and the YAV staff. Our leaders invited us to unpack and reimagine our work this year, asking ourselves: Who am I, why am I spending this year as a volunteer, and what does God require of me?
Over the course of the week, we shared challenging conversations on topics including power and privilege, racial justice, mission work, Biblical witness, community living, and conflict transformation. In our Bible studies, worship, day visit to New York City, and group reflections, we heard God’s call to go beyond what is comfortable and center ourselves in the truths of the gospel. We spent hours examining the history and present reality of white supremacy in the church and the nation, as well as our collective and individual complicity. Through our training, I reflected on my identity as a white American Christian and the responsibilities I carry, privileges I hold, and potential for harm that I can cause through white saviorism, blindness, and fear. I came away holding the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Few are guilty; all are responsible.”
Artwork by my fellow YAV Reba Balint inspired by work with Crossroads Anti-Racism Training
As a Young Adult Volunteer, I know that we cannot solve racism or fix poverty through a year of service, nor are we asked to do so. The YAV program does encourage us to build cross-cultural relationships, to promote reconciliation in cultures of violence, to push back against the systems that divide us through faithful action. As a YAV, I am challenged to center the people of this place working for justice by uplifting their stories and following their lead in their community. I am commissioned to follow Jesus and cross the borders that marginalize minority communities. I am asked to reflect on how I define ‘success’ and ‘abundance’ by practicing simple living this year and challenge the destructive norms of consumer culture. I am directed to follow local leaders who will challenge me and hold me accountable to fulfill my role as a partner in their work.
My friend Tali from Mexico will serve as a YAV in Arizona this year
In every community, there is work to be done. I came to Austin with an understanding that this city is a popular destination for people of my generation as a beacon of art, music, and culture in the south. I also know that Austin is central to the story of gentrification in America: many communities of color and families who have lived in Austin for generations are being displaced on a daily basis by the rising taxes and cost of living. My new home is in the heart of prime real estate of the city, and I fit in well with the gentrifying class. While Austin claims to be one of the most progressive cities for the region, it also faces disparities in public services including underfunded schools for children of color, lack of police accountability, and criminalization of immigrants and people of color. I am reminded that every area of the city has its own character and history. As my co-YAV Reba said yesterday, “There seem to be 17 cities in this one place.” As I get to know this place better, I hope to learn the stories of communities practicing resilience, working for the just and inclusive city Austin can be.
In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In the wake of Charlottesville, rising tides of anti-semitism and white nationalism, rumbles of global conflict, and threats of looming deportations, the wounds of America are raw. As a Christian, I feel encouraged by Jesus’ words encouraging us to feel this reality: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Jesus also declares the blessedness of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6), or in Margaret Aymer’s translation, “those who are famished and parched for justice.”
As a white Christian, I lament my complicity in the dehumanization of communities of color and peoples of other faiths, and the way my privileges have blinded me to reality. I am also lamenting the disaster caused by Hurricane Harvey in Gulf areas of Texas, disproportionately affecting undocumented persons, people in poverty, and disabled people. It is a heartbreaking reality to witness how human-made systems and climate change have put communities underwater.
Houston family flooded by Harvey / Photo source: NBC
With lament, I also know celebration and joy to be healing in the work for justice. Just yesterday, Reba and I witnessed the Austin community gather to celebrate the court injunction of SB4, the racist legislation targeting immigrants in Texas, while lamenting the thousands of unjust arrests that occurred this past year and petitioning the City Council to act on behalf of its most marginalized constituents. My work with Grassroots Leadership this year will focus on immigration advocacy, breaking the isolation of people in detention, and building connections with faith-based communities and non-profit organizations in the Austin Sanctuary Network. My work will be a small part of the organization’s mission to end prison industries that profit from the dehumanization of human beings and feed our societal addiction to incarceration, wounding us as a collective.
Community Bout Against Racism / August 31, Austin City Hall
In every heart, there is the power we need to do the work. I am grateful to have heard four words repeated a dozen times during YAV orientation: “You are not alone.” Whether we felt anxious or excited, assured or unraveled, church members and leaders reminded us that Spirit and the cloud of witnesses accompany us as we find fellowship in new communities. We are connected globally in prayer and fed by the scriptures and stories that give us direction in this holy work. I feel challenged to remember this year is not a “solo game,” and while I am used to being independent, I am asked to center community life and share spiritual practices with others.
Community worship / Photo from Young Adult Volunteers @yavprogram
During our last day of orientation, we visited local congregations who commissioned us to serve in the name of Christ this year. I was grateful to be commissioned alongside my dear friend, Emma Warman, at First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown. We received the warmest welcome by the congregation as they invited us to share our stories of following the call to serve as YAVs. I feel indebted to the First Presbyterian community as one that offers prayers and encouragement on our behalf, strengthening our hearts for the road ahead. You can listen to our ‘sermon’ online here. Our visit to worship gave me a sense of being rooted in God’s power and seeking strength from others.
Friends from FPC Yorktown
Who am I, why am I doing this year, and what does God require of me? What do I have to offer to this community, and what will it look like to live with seven young adults? Where will I challenge my privilege in unsettling ways? As I raise these questions, I am encouraged to know that I walk this road with friends near and far. Please reach out to share your thoughts and big questions; I will be glad to hear from you.
I will also be grateful for your continued support. As you are able, I ask you to consider donating to support the sustainability of the YAV program in Austin. Please also pray with me for the AYAVA community as we begin our work placements and form our community covenant together.
