Andrew Jones
Food prep for Miracle Mile ministry
The Justice & Mercy Team (JMT) at Church of the Cross exists to cultivate love for the aspects of God’s character that display justice and mercy. We seek to build a communal commitment to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). I was drawn to serve on the JMT because life has taught me that my faith is flat when I’m not giving sacrificially to people around me, and especially brothers and sisters who are suffering and on the margins of society.
On average, I’m selfish with my time and energy, far more concerned about my own comfort and pleasure than anyone else’s. Moreover, getting close to neighbors experiencing loneliness, pain, and hardship is not easy. Being face to face with people I otherwise tend to avoid stretches me. Yet when I give up a Saturday morning to serve at Miracle Mile’s community breakfast, I’m always amazed by how God breaks into my life in human form. Welcoming our hungry, sick, unhoused, and financially vulnerable neighbors in for a hot meal, fellowship, and a time of worship as a loving community of Jesus followers is such a beautiful experience. I think we all find Jesus there in a much more tangible, three dimensional way. In fact, scripture teaches us that Jesus is not only standing with the marginalized, but actively identifies as them (Matthew 25:35-40).
Brian Stevenson, author of Just Mercy and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, refers to this as getting proximate. To quote Stevenson:
“[I]n poor communities all across the world, in places where there is suffering, and places where people have been marginalized in jails and prisons, and places where people have been oppressed and pushed down, there are still songs being sung. When you get proximate, you hear the songs. And those melodies in those songs will empower you, they will inspire you, and they will teach you what doing justice and loving mercy is all about. That is why I’m urging you — all of you — to find ways to get closer to the poor and the excluded, the marginalized and the neglected, and to go with an open heart and listen for the songs.” (excerpt from a 2024 lecture at the University of Notre Dame)
While the experience is different every time, I always leave Miracle Mile community breakfasts inspired, having learned something new about our city and about our neighbors, and having deepened my faith. If you’re interested in serving our city through one of our Justice & Mercy prison or homelessness ministries, you can find out more on the CotC website. Get proximate - you won’t regret it!
Andrew Jones is the lay leader for the JMT and lives in Back Bay with his wife, Christine. They've been attending Church of the Cross since the fall of 2022.