Christmas in South Rome

“when you look at the inner working of electrical things, you see wires. until the current passes through them, there will be no light. That wire is you and me. The current is God. we have the power to let the power pass through us, use us, to produce the light of the world, Jesus, in us. Or we can refuse to be used and allow the darkness to spread.”

-Mother Teresa

This Christmas we were allowed the great privilege of watching the body of Christ light up our neighborhood of South Rome brighter that any Christmas tree.

Mountain Top ran the Christmas in South Project again this year (the third year) and we watched as people from Atlanta to Chicago step up to supply over 60 families with Christmas gifts. Kids who would go without coats, now have them, kids who would have woken up Christmas morning not expecting gifts were surprised with packages.

This may seem like a small thing, perhaps as though we are simply encouraging the commercialized aspect of Christmas, but to kids who society has forgotten and many times pushes aside, it is a beautiful message, one that says ‘ You are worth remembering, worth celebrating.’ so to those of you who took the time to brave the crowds to buy gifts, or generously sent cheques to provide for families, Thank you! thank you for being Christ’s hands for showing his love, for lighting up this neighborhood this Christmas. I can’t wait to do it all over again next year.

This is the voice of Jesus. You’re listening to the product of His lungs, His tongue, His musical theory.

For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to me; I was singing, and you listened to Me.

M L Johnson is one of the ones whose been through great tribulation. One of the ones whose been down through great tribulation. She’s one of the ones whose been through a great tribulation. But her robe has been washed, her robe has been dipped - in the blood of the Lamb. By the great I Am.

When the opportunity presents itself (often on distant drives), Lola and I construct prospective trips to South Africa, Sudan, or Kenya. After deciding what other couple might be with us and where to enroll any potential children for schooling, we might discuss other preparations - what might accompany us in our luggage and what would be left behind. If we take too much, dragging it from place to place will be tiresome (and, in Africa, expensive); on the other hand, if we take too little, we will forever be having to break our journey to pick up things along the way - and that will be even more tiresome.

Here’s what today is for: We’re packing a bag for our journey together. We’re going to throw into this bag some things we won’t want to pick up later on. These things may mean little or nothing to you right now. We’ll just show them to you briefly and then toss them into the bag. That way you’ll recognize them when we take them out later on. Three tenets:

Love is our great instrument and our great weapon, and that alone - the single greatest feature of a disciple.

For our consideration, the words of Christ: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." And through another voice: Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.

And for a practical example, consider Paul’s approach to the Thessalonian church: We proved to be gentle among you , as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having thus a fond affection for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us. And once more for comprehensiveness: Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth. For the kingdom of God does not consists in words.

Lola and I, we’ve got to go down deep, to fall into people, to really know them. Lola and I want to know you.

Herein lies the tragedy of the age: Not that men are poor, for all men know something of poverty; not that men are wicked, for who is exclusively good; not that men are ignorant, for what is Truth; no, but that men know so little of men. It wasn’t that Jesus healed the leper but that he touched a leper. Jesus connected with man, knew man.

We don’t know what you’ve been told, but Heaven is coming down to the world.

So here is our vision, a phrase from a prayer from our Lord: on earth as it is in Heaven. For South Rome to one day be know as “The Lord is There." For Jesus to rise up out of South Rome, analogous to Nazareth.

And so here we are, writing about things that are way over our heads. And though we may never reach a communicable height of understanding, Lola and I will live by faith (the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen) while trying to figure out how to love better.

Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood,

Aj and Lola Pierce

We are Aj and Lola, we are Newlyweds, married November 2010, living in Rome, Ga.

Aj, recently graduated from berry college, studying piano and music composition. after graduating he briefly ran the non-profit coffee where we met, until an interesting turn of circumstances landed him in South Rome living with a couple, this lead him to realize that he preferred a more hands on approach to serving.

Lola, after frequent major and college changes and a brief time overseas opened a photography studio in Rome, Ga in 2009. growing up in Rome she had always had an interest in the South Rome area, but in the process of falling in love with Aj she also fell in love with this community.

We are both photographers passionate about art and expressing ourselves and capturing our surroundings creatively. but more than that we are passionate about pursuing a life that exemplifies Jesus’ love to those around us. We have both been given a heart for uplifting those that a nescient society has cast aside. We have had the wonderful privilege of starting our life together living in the community centre that serves this area. becoming a part of the community and learning the ins and outs of ministry from the centre’s founder and director Pastor Linda Smith, or Mama Tina as some call her, and the other wonderful ladies that work alongside her. We started this blog in part to keep family and friends informed on what is going on in our life but also to show the Jesus{es} that we meet everyday {the people we live with and amongst}, and hopefully to inspire others to look for Jesus{es} in their own community {to honor the Holy One in someone else}.

We hope that you enjoy reading our blog,

Lola and AJ