Week 7 – Presence in a Partisan World

Christ in the City, Week 7: Presence in a Partisan World with Jackson Gillespie

This week we will finish up our conversation around Politics. Last week Rev. Jess Shults led us in a discussion about politics without contempt. This week, Jackson Gillespie will be speaking on Presence in a Partisan World. Drawing upon his doctoral work, Jackson will be giving us an imagination for unity as a priority in a divided world. We encourage you to bring your companion journal as well as an open mind.

Jackson lives in Holland with his wife of 6 years, Julia, and two children, Aria (5) and Enzo (1). He is currently a doctoral candidate at Fuller Theological Seminary studying political theology and ethics. Jackson’s primary interests include understanding how the church relates to power and its uses, as well as how the church functions in the political sphere today. In addition to his doctoral pursuits, Jackson is also the author of the Substack newsletter, The Subversive Word, writing primarily on the radical ways in which the logic of Christ challenges the wisdom of the world today

Old View of the Boat-bridge at Sano in Kōzuke Province, Katsushika Hokusai, ca. 1830

This snowscape depicts the “bridge of boats” at Sano, Gunma Prefecture. Noted in the cartouche as an “ancient view,” the pontoon bridge was famous in early poetry but no longer existed by Hokusai’s time. The print features a geometric composition with a bold curve toward the center, emphasizing the potential danger of trying to cross the unstable, snow-piled bridge. (The MET, NY)

In our engagement with politics, we’re tempted to remain on our side of the river or get swept away by the currents. Perhaps Christ invites us to walk upon the bridge that floats up and down with the violent movement of our world, while remaining on the path across, however shaky or windy it may be.