Week 1:
A 44 hour bus ride, Ukulele choir, and few hundreds meals later

June 23, 2021

The past week has been an extraordinary experience. I took this picture right before traveling to Davenport, Iowa to take the bus to Boston, Massachusetts. Yes, perhaps you even raised your eyebrow, the journey was 44-hour strong letting me knit sightings and record observations through cities like Chicago, Columbus in Ohio, Harrisburg, Philadelphia City, New York City, and finally Boston.

While I was terribly exhausted, Boston’s happy welcome rejuvenated my energy almost instantly. I have fallen in love with this city, its people, and the amazing sense of citizenship everyone displays. Reverend Burns Stanfield, co-President of the Greater Boston Area Interfaith Organization and Pastor at Fourth Presbyterian Church, came to pick me. It was an exhilarating moment to meet with the man I have admired for a few months now. I first got to learn about Rev. Burns in my Religion and Politics class through Professor Chris in December 2020, and have ever since been a fan of the incredibly empowering work he facilitates in every community he touches. Reverend Burns will be my mentor in Civic Engagement, Grassroots Organizing, and Public Scholarship. I am sure this smiling picture reflects the excitement I felt finally meeting with Rev Burns and being able to embark on a moving journey under his exclusive mentorship.

Moreover, this picture is from my first visit to the Fourth Presbyterian Church, whereas a partner organization with GBIO, I will be spending a considerable amount of time helping with community initiatives. I had fruitful conversations with Rev. Burns and Rev. Katie, the Associate Pastor, who also supervises the Summer Meals Program, about my responsibilities and duties for the rest of the summer. I will be helping out with the evening meals program for adults, and the Summer Meals Program for kids starting in July. Additionally, I will be leading a series of Sunday-school classes teaching about Islam, facilitating interfaith harmony through public scholarship, and will also help arrange and organize GBIO’s interactions with Mayoral Candidates in Boston. And lastly, I will read extensively about active citizenship and grassroots organizing, primarily from Reveille for the New Generation, a book Reverend Burns has contributed to, and Blessed Are the Organized, by Jeffery Stout, among a list of other scholarly books.

In addition, the Fourth Presbyterian Church is the parent of numerous initiatives, as such the evening meals program for adults is at the forefront of community service the church facilitates daily. The program was initiated during the covid-19 pandemic to help the underprivileged and needy in the community. The following are some highlights from the hundreds of meals we packed the past week, serving on average a little more than 100-meals/ day. I have grown very fond of the passion and empathy everyone brings with much selflessness and a sense of service to this platform.

In the art of grassroots organizing, the ability to be present on the ground and be personally involved in community initiatives is foundational to the success of any event. If I could summarize my learning from this past week, it would be developing a personal relationship with key actors, the ones helping and others being helped, contributing with a sense of civic duty, and genuinely valuing each individual’s participation. This meals program has put me closer to a key component of effective grassroots impact: human-human contact. I have met numerous like-minded young leaders who carry community service close to their hearts with inexhaustible commitment.

Furthermore, while this internship has already begun to immerse me within a plethora of empowering roles my personal favorite from the past week has been shadowing Rev. Burns. As my mentor, Rev. Burns has provided me an exclusive opportunity to get closer to the decision-making, evaluation, and brainstorming process of servant leadership. As can be observed, I shadowed Reverend Burns to multiple meetings, normally sitting quietly and taking notes on the proceedings of the meeting. Afterward discussing the various principles and approaches he utilizes to address certain issues the organization faces.

This specific experience has been very revealing and one of much introspection for me, as I unveil, evaluate and navigate through my own paradigms of leadership and service. And I am heartily grateful to a mentor who sees the value of such an experience for a young one like myself. Rev. Burns follows an exhausting schedule every day. Funny as it may seem, in the above right picture Rev. Burns is actually attending an important meeting of GBIO focused on health care for children. The meeting was over zoom, and it so happened that we attended a portion of it in the car. Perhaps, I am also receiving lessons in multi-tasking.

Lastly, this past week has paved way for stronger bonding with the larger Church community. This picture is from the weekly cookout on Wednesday, where Professor Burns can be seen playing the Ukulele and everyone is singing in praise. In my understanding, such a gathering reconnects one with the joy and delight in everyone’s heart, alleviating the burdensome reality of the pain and suffering around us. And giving us even greater motivation to go out of our way in helping others sharing the fruits of our blessings, physical and spiritual. The Fourth, this past week, has introduced me to a kind, God-conscious, and an immeasurably service-oriented cadre of young leaders led by stalwarts like Rev. Burns. And has only begun to immerse me within a life shrouded by demands of service, inundated with passion, and brimming with smiles even through the hardest of times.