"collateral beauty" found in community

december 6, 2024

on march 23, 2024, my family lost our dear brother joel ngoyi. he was 37! during this time of mourning, i learned a new phrase from dr. john mark hicks: “collateral beauty.” the care, concern, and prayers that john mark, paavo tucker, and aaron howard showed me will last more than any of the wonderful academic discussions/lectures. it has been life changing to attend a university with men and women who follow jesus, not only intellectually, but practically. 

 hospitality lived out

 

john mark taught me about hospitality not through his lectures, but through his life’s example. he opened his home and served me and another classmate during one of our intensive weekends since we live out of town. on another occasion, john mark allowed my family (wife and 2 small children ages 6 and 4) to stay with them. 

 

compassionate mentorship

dr. howard is incredibly down to earth. when he found out that my position as a middle school teacher was ending due to the school closing, he immediately asked me if he could send my resume to people that he knew. dr. howard continued following up and praying with me because he said, “i know/can relate to how it feels to be a father with small children looking for a job. i will do my part.” although it may have been something small to dr. howard, for me, it was confirmation that i serve a god who sees me. 
 

pastoral professors

paavo has also followed up, checked-in, and prayed for me and my family since the loss of my brother. prior to joel’s death, paavo reminded me of the spiritual realities that we face on a daily basis. i am incredibly grateful for the professors who have the privilege of teaching me. haha!

 

if you would like to join a graduate school community to walk alongside you through transformational moments and experiences, contact our hazelip school of theology today.

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