Christopher Adams is a 26-year-old native of Watkinsville, Georgia, currently serving as an Ernest C. Hynds intern at Good Faith Media.
- What story, verse or passage from your faith tradition’s sacred texts has significantly influenced / shaped your life?
The book of Job for me has been important in my faith formation. His story is a breath of fresh air, shaking up the idea that faith is just pure and unquestioned belief. Job has sat alongside me when I have found myself in ashes scraping my own sores in life, teaching me how doubt and raising a fist at God are part of my faith too when things beyond my control happen.
Job’s story is not a lesson in blind trust, but rather a humanizing story. Job teaches me how to raise my fist in anger, but then how to listen – how to “gird up my loins” or open up my mind and heart and be ready to listen for God when God responds.
Job’s friends remind me how not to sit with a neighbor in grief, how not to theologize people or try to “solve” them as if they are a problem. Rather to listen and walk alongside.
Job’s story is left open-ended. Yes, he receives back what he lost. Except his original children. To make things worse, his whole predicament started with a bet between God and Satan.
It’s not a happy story, it’s a story about a blameless person or perfectionist and it all crumbles around him. Job is the needed conversation partner with Proverbs. To counter popular wisdom with healthy representations of life’s complexities.
“Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? Anyone who argues with God must respond.” Then Job answered the Lord, “See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but will proceed no further” (Job 40: 2-5).
- Who are three people (other than your family) who have shaped your life and worldview? And why?
My friend and mentor, Paul Baxley. His friendship and mentoring presence in my life has been part of the reason I entered seminary and am currently discerning ministry altogether. He empowers and challenges me to grow and be my best.
Will Abney. A scholar, teacher and friend. Will has been a friend of mine since freshman year of undergrad at the University of Georgia in 2012-13. He has unwaveringly walked with me through school, challenging me to think deeper and grow as a person and friend. He is a lifelong friend who will always pick up the conversation from where we left off, creating a safe space of friendship and fellowship (usually over a meal or cup of coffee).
Mr. Bryan Agan, my band director and music teacher in middle school. He held out for me a love of music, which I grabbed on to and have held ever since. He taught me trumpet but also introduced me into the world of music in a deeper and personable way, affirming and challenging me to grow and live musically. I give thanks for his patience, love of music and of teaching to help me grab hold of what has become a hobby and passion in my life.
- List three of your “desert island” books, movies or TV shows.
King of the Hill (TV show); The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han (book); “Grand Budapest Hotel” produced by Wes Anderson (movie).
- What is one of the most critical issues people are facing today?
Lack of empathy.
- What are a few of your hobbies?
Video games; reading / writing; camping / hiking; coffee; soccer; ultimate Frisbee.
- If you could freeze your life into an already-lived 10 seconds, what would they be?
Being in the trumpet section with my friends in the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band on a fall Saturday night in Athens, Georgia, between the hedges.
- Our tagline at Good Faith Media is, “There’s more to tell.” What’s your “more to tell”?
More is not always better. With many sensationalist news or entertainment outlets on a 24-hour news cycle feeding hysteria over constructive discourse, it is easy to be suspect of “more, more, more.”
Yet, words create worlds, and for me the “more” is less of a what, but more of a “who.” What is tacit and assumed for me is the “who.” Who has more to tell?
I tried to rewrite the tagline, capturing it in a different way. I came up with this: “… provided that we exist for the purpose of greater relatedness.”
The tagline seems to be more of the second half of two clauses. I am interested in thinking about what is the clause at the beginning that is not stated.
The reason I rewrote was to try to see it from a different angle. What I wrote above captures the idea that if there is more to tell, it must have motion, direction and a focus. A narrative.
Part of what the “more” is is the willingness to seek a greater relatedness through story. You cannot separate storyteller from story. If this is true, “more to tell” is an affirmation of inclusion of more voices, not just more stories as an object to hold up apart from the voice or the hand that produced the narrative.
I don’t know if this answers you question, but I don’t think the “more” is any one thing.
Reflection and resources at the intersection of faith and culture through an inclusive Christian lens.
