Joshua enjoys a good story. From the Inklings, to the Beat Poets, to This American Life, the power of narrative connects humanity. Like a good story, Joshua’s years of adventure, struggle, reflection, and questioning have led him to Sojourners. After spending four years at Greenville College (greater St. Louis area) studying English and religion, and serving as Editor-in-Chief of his college newspaper, he comes to DC seeking to be read anew into God’s story of love, justice, and redemption for the entire created order. He is excited to participate in communal life and work towards goals that are continually broadening and making a profound impact on individuals and the larger society.
Follow Joshua at www.jwitchger.wordpress.com
Posts By This Author
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: May 7, 2012
The Hill and Wood. Photo via Facebook www.facebook.com/thehillandwood.
Tributes to The Beastie Boys -- Wilco's legendary album revisited -- water droplets dance on speakers -- Patton Oswalt's band names -- Stephen Colbert interviewed on Letterman -- and the Virginia indie musicians The Hill and Wood perform a house show at Jim Wallis' former home... see this and more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Mother's Week: The Audio Motherload (Part I)
The Audio Motherload (Part 1):Radio documentaries, comedy, and interviews about mothers and women from John Hodgman, This American Life, Radiolab, Mom's Open Mic, and Anne Lamott ...
Mother's Week: Music (Part I)
From bands singing about their mothers and songwriters promoting women's empowerment, to songs about reference mothers and girls and odes to the divine feminine, we give you Music for Mother's Week (Part 1) with contributions from Dawes, Iron & Wine, Bob Dylan, J. Tillman, Roger Waters and Sinead O'Connor and U2.
Links of Awesomeness: May the 4th Be With You
Star Wars family portrait via Steven Quinn / Star Wars blog.
May the 4th be with you! Today we present some of our favorite bits of Star Wars floating around the cybersphere.... Yoda talking in proper English -- C3-PO and R2-D2 give a public service announcement -- the galaxy's guide to yoga -- cello wars -- Dr. Suess' take on characters -- Darth Vadar as a good father -- and many more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: May 3, 2012
Anderson Cooper and Aziz Ansari with their look-a-likes. (Can you tell who's who?)**
Parks and Recreation star Aziz Ansari fools Anderson Cooper with a look-alike -- a child and a lion encounter one another at a Portland zoo -- Virgin airlines debutes new ice cubes -- Bruce Springsteen honors Levon Helm andThe Band -- and zingers in new form: Ayn Randers. See these and more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Links of Awesomeness: May 2, 2012
DIY mirror project via Dans Le Townhouse Blogspot
The constructive mirror makeover -- the theology of Reinhold Bieber -- the most elaborate one-man-band you've ever seen -- Father John Misty -- and urban plant tags. See more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
World Malaria Day Concert for Sierra Leone
Dengue fever info-text. Via mrfiza / Shutterstock
When I moved to Washington, D.C., I—like perhaps most other 20-somethings—imagined this place as a hub of both political thought and non-profit zeal; the coexistence of both worlds, all to change society. Lofty ideals, right? Perhaps.
Ideal, meet the venue Busboys and Poets plus friends and co-laborers in the fight for justice: Faiths Act, ONE, Malaria No More, and the 9/11 Unity Walk. Last night, a handful of musicians and spoken-word artists united in faith and activism under a common cause: World Malaria Day concert for Sierra Leone.
Working Class Heroes: A Playlist for May Day
A playlist for the working class: Ten songs in honor of May Day and workers everywhere.
John Lennon, "Working Class Hero"
This song from John Lennon's first post-Beatles solo album, 1970's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, is about working class folks being "processed" into the middle class or the "machine," according to what Lennon told Rolling Stone magazine in an interview the same year the album released. "A working class hero is something to be," is the song's mantra and refrain.
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: May 1, 2012
Melvin the Traveling Mini Machine -- Kickstarter's transformative mission -- and "A History of Whisteling," in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 30, 2012
Aussie grandma performs The Black Keys on spoons -- LA riots appear on Twitter 20 years later -- Stephen Colbert and Jack White meet again on The Report -- TED and NPR team to deliver new podcast -- a capella renditions of pop songs -- the interactive scale of the universe -- and The African Queen steamboat (of Bogart/Hepburn fame) is rescued from the junk heap. Read this and more on today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 26, 2012
Zenaida Macroura (Mourning Dove) painting by John J. Audubon. Public domain image.
Happy 227th Birthday to ornithologist and painter John J. Audubon -- find your voice with the public radio name generator -- a rescued collie dog's survival story -- Australia's duck fashion parade -- the cast of 30 Rock plays charades -- new music from J. Tillman and The Welcome Wagon. Read these stories and more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Gallup Poll: 'Very Religious' Support Romney, 'Moderate' and 'Non-Religious' Favor Obama
In the 2012 race for the presidency, religious voters will continue to be watched closely.
According to Gallup’s latest poll, Mitt Romney leads Barack Obama by 17 points among “very religious voters.” These voters are those who attend religious services on a weekly basis (or nearly every week), and are estimated to constitute 41 percent of registered voters.
On the other hand, the report shows that Barack Obama has a 14 point lead among “moderately religious voters” and a 31 point lead among “non-religious voters.”
But this really isn’t anything new. Gallup reports that these findings “reinforce a basic pattern in American voting behavior that has been evident for decades.” The highly religious favor the Republican, the not-quite-as-religious favor the Democrat. This also confirms previous Gallup findings in their "state of the state" report, last month.
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 25, 2012
High School students send a rubber chicken into space -- Fresh Prince's Alfonso Ribiero leads largest dance flash mob -- vintage mugshots available online -- John Hodgman and Jonathan Coulton's sentimental duet -- President Obama 'slow jams the news' with Jimmy Fallon and The Roots. See this and more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 24, 2012
Between Two Ferns to become a television show -- moves to get in shape before attending summer music festivals -- Muppets protest Goldman Sachs -- and Nick Offerman reads celelbrity tweets on Conan... Read this and more on today's Links of Awesomeness...
Wendell Berry Earns Highest Humanities Award, Lectures on Economy and Imagination
Obama awards Wendell E. Berry the 2010 National Medal of Arts and Humanities. Photo by Mark Wilson / Getty Images
On Monday evening Wendell Berry delivered the 41st annual Jefferson Lecture in the Humanities, sponsored by the National Endowment of the Humanities, at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. According to the NEH, this is “the most prestigious honor the federal government bestows for distinguished intellectual achievement in the humanities.”
In front of hundreds, Berry took his place among former recipients (Walker Percy, Toni Morrison, Arthur Miller, John Updike, and many others) to deliver a resonating essay on the beauty of place, imagination, and pleasure, titled “It All Turns on Affection.” The title hinges on E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel Howards End, which Berry said, takes some of its thrust as a “manifesto against materialism.”
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 23, 2012
Hackers transform multi-story building into giant game of Tetris -- 5th Avenue Frogger combines the arcade with real time traffic -- Jimmy Fallon releases a treat on Record Store Day -- tribute to The Band at Coachella Festival -- "Potter Musical" turns ambitions to Batman -- Bill Nye dances to his own theme song -- children narrate BBC's Planet Earth. See this and more in today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 19, 2012
Bon Iver stops by The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Roots produce a short video with friends encouraging literacy, an aerial view of symmetry, remembering Dick Clark, a public service announcement for class clowns, and the newest from Danish TV "Stupidity captured at 2500 frames per second." Read this and more on today's Links of Awesomeness...
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 18, 2012
Children's Medieval band shows adorable talent, interactive posters for Wes Anderson's new film, Cathedral ceiling art, and some good cat videos... Discover this and more on today's Links of Awesomeness...
Survey Shows Obama Lead Narrowing as Voters Focus on Economy
A new survey released today shows that President Barack Obama holds a narrow lead over Gov. Mitt Romney in economic issues among voters—a topic that eight in 10 voters believe to be very important.
The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life reports that on economic issues, 49 percent of voters favor Obama while 45 percent favor Romney. In these statistics, Romney holds a 53-point lead among white evangelicals and a 20-point lead among white Catholics, while Obama garners strong support from black Protestants and the religiously unaffiliated.
As voters head to the polls in November, numbers show that for many voters, issues of employment and the economy will take priority over social issues like gay marriage and abortion.
Afternoon Links of Awesomeness: April 17, 2012
All your links for tax day 2012: infographic of last years stats, some of the oddest deductions that were accepted, businesses giving away free products, and superheroes filing taxes. Plus composer John Cage meets actor Nic Cage, Michael Jordan and the problem of common surnames, Pultizer Prize winners, and Disney's Chimpanzees.