Hello K-Fam!
To save you the trouble of scrolling way down to see who
wrote this, I’m Joel.
I’ve wanted to tell you about what I’ve been up to, but don’t
want to write a big long post that takes 45 minutes to read so I’ll try to make
it brief and you can ask me questions at the end. (Though I have a sneaking
suspicion that it will be long nonetheless.) Sound good? Awesome.
Let me start off by saying thank you, because even though it
was 4 years ago, the lessons we taught each other about community still resonate
in my heart. This summer I have been incredibly blessed by finding a similar
type of community here in Vancouver where I’m currently living. Actually, found is the wrong word. Community was forcibly injected into my current living
situation by the Spirit. And it was awesome. I’m still living and working with
UrbanPromise Vancouver, acting as the house manager. This basically means I’m
living with the 3 Bible-teaching, kid-loving, servant-hearted interns that came
to work with the organization, and making sure their house doesn’t burn down,
while creating a life-giving atmosphere where they can recharge after an
exhausting day of camp. Without a doubt I can say that their summer was hard.
It was stretching, tiring, and totally out of their comfort zones. But it was
good. There were times they (and myself) felt totally burnt, emptied of
enthusiasm and vigor. But the Spirit moved when we came together in prayer.
When it seemed impossible to get through another day, He blew us away with
strength beyond all strength. Through these past two months the 5 of us (a
previous intern was living with us as well) living at the UP house grew closer
to Jesus, and thus closer to each other to the point where we couldn’t call it
anything but family. When I left Kaléo I didn’t know if I would ever find
anything similar to it; I was skeptical of that dynamic existing in the real
world. But that wind that filled our sails continues to blow. But, just like
Kaléo, it had to come to an end. Interns are in the midst of departing now, and
there’s this heavy stillness that seems to be settling in the house. I can’t
wait to feel where and when that wind will rise up next. Maybe it’s a respite
from the intensity of the summer, but I fear that if the calm settles in I may
get cabin fever. I don’t know who still reads this, but if you are, can I ask
for a couple of minutes of prayer from you? I really am hoping that this wasn’t
a one-time thing, and that I’ll be able to see where Jesus is hoping to build
up another community dedicated to him. But, in summary, my housemates and I
were blessed with a slice of the Kingdom, and I’m super grateful for the brief
but intense ride that it was.
Okay, hang in there. I take back my earlier comment about
making this brief. I have just a bit more that I want to share.
During this
past year, along with house managing at Urban Promise, I was doing a year-long
(Sept-Sept) photography program at the Vancouver Institute for Media Arts. I’ll
be graduating – barring a disaster at my final portfolio review on Friday
– on September 6th. I’m
hoping to get into doing some freelance editorial and documentary work in this
next year. One thing that I wanted to graduate with, other than a refinement of
my craft, is a way of using my photography to help others see through
Jesus-tinted lenses. I’ve started to do a series of street portraits of people
that aren’t necessarily what the general culture would deem as “beautiful” or
“attractive.” Most of them are old people, because I love wrinkles and beards,
but what connects all of them is that they are all made in the image of God.
Imageo Dei. They all have immeasurable worth not because of what they do or how
they look, but because they were each carefully made by a skilled craftsman,
who poured endless love into His project. That – in words – is what I want to
communicate. What’s crazy is that my agnostic department head got that. We were
having a review of my portfolio and career path and he starts describing
exactly what I want to do with my pictures.
“You don’t
care about the money,” he stated.
“Nope,” I
affirmed.
“Yeah, I can
tell. You don’t make a lot of money doing this kind of work, but your photos
really show how important these people are. There’s something in their eyes. I
see you making photos about the human condition. Hanging out with the poor and
outcast, traveling to other cultures and strata of society making sure their
stories are being told, even if it’s just through their faces. No, you aren’t
going to be driving a convertible or living in a penthouse, but your life will
be rewarding and may actually make a difference to others.”
I couldn’t
help but laugh. Here is my prayer, my deepest yearning to serve Christ that I
haven’t figured out yet how to do, much less verbalize, spoken from a 60-year
old Scottish man who doesn’t know God. I’m thankful the Spirit can translate
our unspoken prayers through unlikely people. I know it might be a bit
idealistic and I’m still a long way off from doing this, but that is where I
want to take my photography. I hope to be starting a blog about these people soon, but for now you can see my website at
www.joelkrahn.com
Thanks for sticking with me. Hopefully I haven’t made anyone
doze off, or dissuaded anyone from writing a nice, short, concise update. A
verse that has encouraged me lately is Galatians 6:9-10: “Let us not grow weary
of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give
up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone.”
Don’t get tired of doing good, my family.
PS Next time I promise to keep it to 140 characters or less.
Joel
