Meet an innoFaither: Jonathan Walton
Meet Jonathan Walton, poet, writer, speaker, and facilitator who is not afraid to say hard things and to challenge people, while also supporting them to be their best selves. Jonathan, who lives in Queens, NY, with his wife and daughters, is a generative creator in pursuit of a more just world. Among other things, he is the co-founder of the Center for Beauty and Resistance, which supports the wholeness of leaders and activists, and author of six books, including Twelve Lies that Hold America Captive, and Beauty and Resistance: Spiritual Rhythms for Formation and Repair.
What faith(s), if any, do you practice? How does your tradition and/or spiritual practice inspire or influence you as an innovator?
I do my best to follow Jesus as faithfully as I can. And seeing God as creator, revealer, actor and ultimate renewer and reconciler of all things inspires me to live a life in loving reception and service to God, my neighbor and all of creation. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20) and the Great Commandments (Matthew 22:36-40) ground all that I do each day by God's grace at every level –– individual, intimate, interpersonal, institutional and ideological. My sincere hope and goal is to live in liberative community and embody the love, justice and kindness that I believe all creation was meant for in context. This means that I must always be attentive to the changing seasons and needs of those around me and within myself.
What are you currently working on?
My work lives at the intersection of faith, justice, and emotional health and has two strands – formation and practice. In practice, I am the Senior Associate for A Rocha USA to care for God's creation and teach others to do likewise in the Northeast Corridor. And toward formation, I co-founded the Center for Beauty and Resistance where we work to nourish whole people and fruitful communities through cohorts, conferences, scripture study, and workshops. In addition, I lead the Christian Community Development Association Network in the Northeast and am a member of the Wild Fig Network. I also write daily for the Crux on Substack.
What can we find you doing when you’re not working?
If I'm not working, you can find me at the gym, walking in the park, trying to keep the plants around me alive or cooking entirely too much food to eat at one time for a big group in our house.
What is piquing your curiosity these days?
Too many things! But if one thing had to rise to the surface it would be how to help people remain kind and loving in a world that is increasingly violent and hateful online and in real life.
What is something you’d like help on?
I would like help on the best ways to transition well and maintain composure in stressful, long term situations. I am leaving a job I thought that I would be at for the long haul and starting something new brings up all kinds of vulnerabilities and questions I didn't anticipate. I believe it will be successful and that I have the skills necessary to succeed, but that doesn't mean the emotions aren't difficult!
What is something you can offer others in the innoFaith network?
I want to offer anyone in innoFaith the chance to just "be" and cultivate a heart, mind, body, and spirit that is able to rest, restore and resist systems of oppression in our everyday lives that doesn't leave us drained and burned out but resilient and wrestling faithfully. My book Beauty and Resistance, our Emotionally Healthy Activist Course and all that I hope to create with the Center for Beauty and Resistance is the best I have to share.
You can find Jonathan via Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or his website.
Meet an innoFaither is our series to introduce the inspiring optimists in the innoFaith world and what they’re working on and thinking about. We hope it helps you find and engage with each other across the network to advance faith-rooted social innovation and interfaith collaboration for social impact. Or just meet some cool people. Find the full series at innofaith.org/meet-an-innofaither.