My name is Amanda Sixta, and I am a Senior English and Theatre student at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul. I have had the privilege of working with Jonathan House this summer as a Communications and Writing Intern. In this role, I have primarily worked with SEO strategy for Jonathan House; I was also able to work on the Jonathan House Facebook page and website. While this may have looked a bit different during COVID-19, I was uniquely blessed to witness the work that God has been doing during this strange season we find ourselves in.
Micah 6:8 says, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” I have been meditating on the concept of justice the past few months. The world has been crying out for racial justice in a world so fraught with systemic racism, and we need Jesus-seeking, life-renewing justice to bring relief. This is an integral part of our mission as followers of Christ.
The staff and residents of Jonathan House have shown me that following Christ’s example of justice and compassion is more essential than ever. This summer, I was able to attend two socially-distanced, outdoor Community Meals with the staff and residents of Jonathan House. The way these Community Meals take place look a lot differently with COVID-19, but everyone responded to changes cheerfully, and the relationships I saw there were full of strength and hope.
Because of this, being an intern at Jonathan House has shown me that justice-seeking can be an everyday act, a simple output of living life faithfully in the day-to-day. The mission of Jonathan House demonstrates this very fact: providing stable and supportive housing to asylum seekers and living in community with them is seeking justice in the everyday. Asylum seekers are facing some of the most difficult times in the history of the United States, and they often experience imprisonment, homelessness, and restrictions on employment when they arrive. Seeking justice in this world means having compassion for and listening to asylum seekers and advocating alongside them for their human rights.
I want to share one more verse that I have been pondering lately: “The foreigners residing among you must be treated as native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” – Leviticus 19:34
In the United States today, foreigners are not being treated as native-born, as God commands. But we can all be a voice for change and help elevate voices that may have been silenced. When Christ gave His life on the cross, He showed us what love really is: giving your life for your neighbor. Following His example is what He desires for us: to seek justice and to love mercy.