What an exciting journey it has been. Some have heard me say it often… I’m SO EXCITED to experience how I feel God is leading and teaching me to engage in the ministry of love - the work of restoration He is already doing in the world. Several members from the Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church and I have been involved in learning to live like Jesus in a way that is very different than either of us has experienced before (I think I can say that). What does that look like in our city and in our time? I’m still trying to figure that out. In the mean time I continue to participate in my city and community and step out in faith! LA Voice afforded me the opportunity to participate in my city in a different way.
What is LA Voice? LA Voice is a coalition of about 20 different faith-based congregations working to better our community. For the last two years, our church’s involvement has been around effecting change to impact the housing crisis in Los Angeles, advocating for health care for all children, and transitioning the homeless to appropriate housing and services.
What else does LA Voice do? In addition to working on issues affecting my community, LA Voice trains and develops community leaders like myself. You’ve heard me say this before too… I’m not a leader! But I am. As a leader in my community, I seek to understand why a problem exists and interface with elected officials to effect change. By this process, I become the voice of those who are not able to advocate for themselves, I speak up for the rights of the oppressed in my community, and I work to implement policies that will have long term solutions to the problems of my society.
By this process I am transformed. No kidding! I was stretched, probed, pulled, and so on… I was challenged. It is a humbling way to engage in God’s work of justice and healing of my community. Those involved in this work with me can attest to God’s power and His direct leading in resolving these problems. I feel invited to join Him, and when I do and step out in faith (sometimes way out of my comfort zone) I see His love stamped and clearly marked on the issues being resolved. And I will never be the same. I don’t know how I was, but all I can say now is that I don’t know any other way of being.
Seeing God’s presence. This process has also afforded me the opportunity to work with other wonderful people, passionate about social justice. I see God’s love working through our new friends and neighbors. It’s very clear to me that God is present in the world. I just feel honored to join Him in the work He is already doing. God is good indeed but I have to close my eyes sometimes because I’m overwhelmed at His power!
What are you called to do? I ask you this question because I believe you are asking yourself this question. How are you handling that gut feeling you have to do something more than what your journey with God until now has requested of you? Maybe this is it! Maybe you are being called to join God in the work of healing our community by your presence, by your involvement, by your God given ability to love, by your voice.
Put your faith into action. The Hollywood Seventh-day Adventist Church will host monthly meetings to form strategies on how we can effect change on issues plaguing our community. Watch the LA Voice video and contact our church office to get involved: (323) 462-0010, info@hollywoodsda.org. You have faith and for the community’s sake, continue putting it to action!