A Humbling Start: Christopher Keffler’s First Week as a Fellow

What a week we have had! Between moving in, the Fellows retreat, and the various activities put on for us and by us, there’s hardly been a moment to sit back and reflect on it all. But that’s the beauty of the Fellows Program. We stay busy all year long because there is so much to learn and experience. Already, we’ve grown close as a group through sharing our testimonies, entering seminary together, and bonding over shared hobbies like pickleball. God has been working in us and through us this week. I can feel His love pouring over us, not just through fellowship with each other but through the church body as well.

Move-in day was very humbling for me. I had to go from living at home with my family, where I knew exactly how everyone operated and where everything was, to being a guest in someone else’s home, unaware of even the most basic things. Do shoes remain on, or should they be taken off? When is the washing machine free to use? Am I sitting in someone’s unofficial assigned seat at the dinner table? These little things that we take for granted in our own homes require much more thought in order to be a humble and gracious guest.

But it was evident that I was welcome from the moment I walked through the door. My host family have been so generous and hospitable to me. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” He calls us to open our doors and make time for strangers, to share with them the love that the Father shares with us. I can confidently say that my host family exemplify this calling. They welcomed me into their home with open arms and wide smiles, and I am so grateful to receive their love.

It’s a hard thing to be reliant on the generosity of others, but that’s what builds community. No one can walk alone in their faith. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). We are called to share with each other in both triumphs and tribulations. By being reliant on someone else, we invite that person into the deepest parts of our lives. We are comforted by the presence of another, and we honor that presence by opening up and allowing him or her to be a part of our story.

As the Fellows Program continues, I am looking forward to being a part of the TFCA community and sharing in the love that it has for its members and the greater community of Falls Church. I also look forward to meeting more of the congregation and listening to your stories. If you see me in church, please don’t hesitate to come up and talk with me!