by Paul Shaker, St. John’s member

As a therapist, I hear stories from people who have been through pain, abuse, and suffering that no one should have to experience even once in their life. Wherever I am with my client, that is where I place my altar, and try to bring God’s love into that session any way I can. But by Sunday, I am dragging. By Sunday, I need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ, to hear how God has shown us his love over and over again. This message and your love pump me up for the rest of the week.

I love that we have been able to stay real with each other despite the coronavirus pandemic, that we continue to have hope because Jesus is with us. I love seeing you share your faith with your children. And I want to make sure that I do what I can do to share the love of God with them. When teenagers share their graduation speeches, I listen closely to see how Jesus has changed their lives. I want us to keep showing people that we are deeply in love with Jesus and that we don’t want to keep this Good News to ourselves. I want St. John’s to continue being a place where people come through our doors for the first time, and they say, “I felt like I was home!”

I love that St. John’s is a place where we can shake our fist at God in anger when we see the deaths caused by the coronavirus, when we see a man who swore to protect us kneeling on the neck of our brother, when we see justice that has been so perverted that people feel that violence is the only answer and bullies seem to get their way.

St. John’s is the first place where I feel I have a place at this table, where I can be exactly WHO I AM, where I no longer have to hide the parts others don’t like. I support St. John’s because I have come to believe that you and our God are my heart. I need this place because I need you! I can pray at home, but it is not the same. I need to feel your faith and your love. I pray that ALL people know they are welcome here, to see people fall deeply in love with God and feel that God is with us every minute of every day, coronavirus or not. Why do I support St. John’s? You are my heart. How could I not?