Forget potatoes, i want Faith like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez : Brett Fish

This week i was super inspired and encouraged by a clip of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

i don’t like to put people on pedestals. People will always let you down.

For me, the only person i ever raise as the standard is Jesus Christ. And as much as my faith and religion have taken a bit of a beating these past few years [ironically as i started focusing more on matter of Justice and particularly race] my pursuit of Jesus has only increased.

Choose your Role Models carefully

But i do believe in role models. And while you would hope that the people who lead countries and make important decisions that affect thousands and often millions of people, would feature in that list, they seldom do.

The first two people who jump to mind in this are both women and while i imagine both of them have flaws, as we all do, i have a whole lot of respect for Michelle Obama [“When they go low, we go high!”] and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

When i grow up i want to have faith like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez!

i have been inspired, encouraged and challenged by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on a number of occasions but this video that i watched yesterday is just so powerful:

Faith in Action, Truth in Love

What stands out for me with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is that her faith feels like a part of who she is. While there seems to be such a huge disconnect between so many people and what they say they believe – specifically talking about christians here – for her it doesn’t seem like a reach or an add on or an extension of who she is. It feels like D.N.A. And people who have Jesus D.N.A. are always attractive to me.

There is something authentic and honest and real about her speaking to people using scripture for political point-scoring that doesn’t feel like she is doing it at all.

And she carries such a boldness and dignity to her as well. Her words scream so loudly that she doesn’t have to. There is that saying that says ‘Raise your argument, not your voice.’ and to me, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embodies that, at least in the clips i have seen.

It is true that i don’t really know her well and i obviously don’t know her personally. But i can still see attributes i admire and pursue those in my own life.

Every time i watch a clip with Michelle Obama or Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in, i leave feeling more hopeful about the world. There is a passion and i think a vision of a better world that seems to inform everything they do.

i never want my Jesus-followingness to feel like something i have to dip in every now and then or try to apply to my life. i want it to be real. How we spend our money, where we choose to live, who we spend time with, where we volunteer and how we engage with the marginalised and pursue Justice and Truth in different areas.

Anything less is, well, less.