While walking through the halls of the Capitol with a congressman, Doug Weber, a Navigator representative in Washington, D.C., asked what we could be praying for with all the challenges our country faces and the polarization in the political realm.
The congressman said, “I think each of us needs to be asking the Lord to show us our own sin; then to ask His forgiveness. It is easy to look across the aisle and pick out what other people are doing wrong and how they are sinning. If each of us goes in front of the Lord for His conviction and honors Him, God will change this city and change the world.” This kind of statement is not shared in media coverage, but reflects the heart of one of the followers of Jesus who is in public office.
Doug and the other members of the team of Navigators on Capitol Hill minister to the private lives of public individuals. Doug regularly has faith conversations with people on all sides of the political spectrum, as they seek to follow Jesus in their personal and public lives.
Following Jesus in a Fast-Paced Environment
A recent weekly Bible study on Capitol Hill focused on how to live out the Christian life in the midst of a frantic, high powered, Type A city. Participants wrestled with how to keep their focus on Christ and their calling to follow Him, rather than just the expected focus on achievement and advancement in Washington, D.C.
Part of Doug’s ministry as he walks alongside people on Capitol Hill is to point them toward Jesus, in the midst of the rapid pace of their daily lives. The image of a treadmill reflects daily reality. One Christian on the Hill said, “All of us working in the Capitol are running on a treadmill. We are exhausted and doing way too much. You (Doug) are able to walk alongside us without being on your own treadmill. You are able to point us back to what is true about Jesus and God.”
Supporting Private Struggles
One key aspect of the Navigator ministry on Capitol Hill is providing a respite from the public eye. Over Greek salad and strawberry cobbler, Doug and his wife, Janea, were able to be a listening ear and prayer support for a public official who was grilled by reporters and even her own immediate family who disagreed with her political views. After Amy* expressed sadness at being misunderstood by her relatives, she found solace in the verse from Matthew 13 recalled by Janea. When Christ was demeaned by His family, He said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home” (Matthew 13:57).
Doug and Janea ended the evening by praying through Philippians 2, asking God to help Amy and her husband to follow Christ’s example in service to their family, regardless of how they might be treated.
After a family visit, Amy shared, “Thanks again for your listening ear and wise advice over dinner. The time visiting my brother and sister-in-law went extremely well … much better than we had any right to expect! Thanks for not just encouraging us to follow Jesus’ example of humility, but modeling it for us as well.”
As Doug and the Navs team in D.C. continue to be used by God to minister behind the scenes, they have intentional and encouraging conversations, Bible studies, and prayer times with public officials every day, people who are doing their best to follow Jesus in high power roles that can have great impact on the country and the world.
For more from D.C. watch Doug Weber’s video update at navlink.org/dc or to support The Navs ministry in D.C. visit navgift.org/weber today.
* Name changed
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