I am delighted to be the new JPIT Team Intern this year.
Engaging with justice issues has always been a part of my life. I grew up in a home where second-hand, home grown and political debates were the norm. As soon as I could, I enjoyed serving on the Fair Trade stall at church, and loved getting involved in campaigns at school. My faith, however, rarely influenced or informed these conversations or actions.
It was at University in Bristol that I realised that my love for Jesus and for justice were part of the same story. I got involved in Just Love Bristol, part of a UK-wide movement to embolden Christian students to pursue social justice. And here, my faith and my desire for justice began to come together.
I saw that the God I serve is a God of justice. We see this in the release of the enslaved Israelites in Exodus, the Levitical laws alleviating poverty and the prophets’ anger about injustice they see in their communities, among many more. But most of all, I saw the embodiment of God’s justice in Jesus. A man who went against all social convention to include a Samaritan woman in bringing about His kingdom, who healed the sick and set captives free. Jesus went out of His way time and again to elevate and give dignity to the marginalised. This example both inspired me and empowered me to love my neighbours more actively.
In Bristol I volunteered at the local foodbank, seeing first-hand the ways which societal inequality can affect real people. Whilst I served as one of the Just Love co-presidents, we hosted events engaging with issues like climate justice, domestic abuse and modern-day slavery. Through understanding theologies of justice and the ways God speaks into issues we might see as overwhelming, I felt empowered in ways I hadn’t before to continue to fight against injustice.
As I now see pursuing justice as a central part of my faith, I am so excited to be working for JPIT as an organisation which seeks to integrate faith, justice and politics. I’ll be particularly focusing on issues around the Cost of Living Crisis and the local church’s role in climate justice and politics. Alongside this, I’ll be running the social media channels for JPIT.
Outside of work, I like to spend time reading, running, making music and exploring the outdoors – though usually not all at the same time! Having lived on the outskirts of the city for most of my life, I am really looking forward to exploring London in more depth this year.
