A Common Thread
- Capital Fellows
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 7 minutes ago
By Mary Lauren Veazey
As I reflect on the past four months now that the first half of the Capital Fellows program is coming to a close (hard to believe!), one of the greatest gifts has been to see a similar theme recur in many aspects of the program: the expansiveness of the Gospel and God’s invitation to participate in His grand redemptive plan through vocational work.
In a paper for one of our seminary classes, we were tasked with exploring how Daniel navigated assimilation into Babylonian culture with resistance to assimilation in ways that might compromise his faith. Daniel’s commitment to the flourishing of the people around him through his vocation in Babylonian government provided a vision for how I can use my interests in children’s mental health, clinical research, and policymaking for God’s glory and the good of those around me.
I’ve considered this insight in more depth at the Center for Public Justice (CPJ), my work placement for this year. Here, all new staff participate in a 10-week course called “Public Justice 101.” This seminar surveys the organization’s theological and philosophical framework, and it’s been a space to connect my work in juvenile justice research to an understanding of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility to steward gifts and resources. Discussions on topics like common grace and identity as image bearers have given me a new lens through which to view juvenile justice policy: it contributes to God’s design for the flourishing of His world by bringing order and affirming the dignity of a vulnerable population.
I’ve also been pushed to understand more deeply how promoting flourishing is integral to the mission of the church. Coming into fellows, I was eager to re-learn the beauty of the church, and the idea of “advancing God’s kingdom” has assumed a richer and more specific meaning to me in the past months. Through what I have been exposed to in class readings and writing assignments, conversations at work, and my work itself, I’ve been encouraged not to re-learn but rather learn anew how God designed His church to be a people characterized by Gospel transformation and a willingness and excitement to engage in public life.
I love Paul’s words in the first chapter of his letter to the Ephesian church because it encapsulates the narrative God has been writing throughout all of time, which undergirds the church’s mission. After describing how our redemption was secured by Jesus’ sacrifice, Paul explains that God has “[made] known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1:9-10 ESV).
This Advent season, I am reflecting on the mystery of God’s will made known to us in the person of Jesus. Jesus’ entering into a broken world and His death and resurrection provide assurance that the brokenness of this life will not last forever. Just as God was faithful to His promise to bring a Messiah, He will be faithful to His promise of ushering in a new heaven and new earth. Daniel and CPJ alike have modeled to me how God invites us to participate in the work of bringing glimpses of that reality to life on this earth. Our work–in whatever sphere we engage–is a beautiful opportunity to bear witness to this kingdom that is to come.
Mary Lauren is a member of the Capital Fellows class of 2025-26. She is from Fort Mitchell, KY, and is a graduate of Duke University. This year, she is working at The Center for Public Justice in Alexandria, VA.
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About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring, and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
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