"Where is Everyone?" A Reflection from Rev. Brandon Johnson

With a deep sigh, she asked, “Where is everyone?” It is a question I’ve heard in several contexts, especially small churches. Countless individuals put energy, time, and monetary resources behind spiritual movements of love and justice. Yet, in so many small communities, like churches, organizers and members meet moments of frustration and exhaustion. The reasons are multifaceted, but the question reveals a deeper reality.

Momentum is fragile. It flickers like a candle in the wind…Bright and alive one moment, then suddenly struggling to find oxygen. Anyone who has spent time in community organizing knows this truth. You gather people, you build energy, you name injustice, you imagine something better, and then comes the long middle. The meeting after the inspiring speech. The quiet after the march. The Sunday after Easter.

If we’re honest, the dominant culture teaches us to think of momentum as something dramatic — something that happens in big, visible bursts. A paradigm breaking sermon. A viral moment. A catchy headline. A packed sanctuary (even though it was built in a different era for a different kind of community).

But community organizing, like faith itself, is less about the sensational moments and more about the persistent walk. It’s about cultivating a rhythm that sustains rather than burns out, a movement that is collective rather than charismatic, a daily practice rather than a one-time extravaganza.

Instead of starting with numbers, we are invited to ask about how we build relationships, instill persistence, and cultivate a sense of collective imagination. Even if the crowd is not robust, the budget is thinner than expected, and the challenge of injustice grows – we look around and see one another.

Momentum grows when people feel like they belong — not just to a cause, but to each other. Author bell hooks reminds us, “Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” That insight is not just about personal healing; it is the power of faithful organizing and community.

Sentences I’ve heard in my work…

She found her voice. They discovered progressive theology. He walked toward the communion table for the first time in decades. She held her wife’s hand in a sanctuary and uttered a deep sigh of relief. They met another individual interested in the same issue. That family picked up a “Know Your Rights” (red) card from the welcome table.

Movements endure when they are rooted in connection, when people feel like they belong. We are called to celebrate those moments of belonging and justice.

Think about Seneca Falls. Think about Selma. Think about Stonewall.

Momentum becomes about widening the circle, caring for one another, and dreaming about the realization of God’s beloved community.

Of course, there will be moments when the energy dips. When the headlines shift. When the work feels heavy and progress slow. In those moments we often push harder and fill the calendar. But sometimes, the most faithful response is to pause, not to stop, but to remember, reconnect, share a meal, sing together, and dream (not about numbers but about relationship).

To remember our ancestors.

To tell the story of God’s love again (and again, and again).

To remind one another that change has always been a long arc.

We keep building relationships.

We keep breaking bread.

We keep singing.

We keep praying.

We keep creating spaces where people can imagine and practice a more just world.

And in doing so, we discover that sustainability and momentum are built on collective commitment and deeper relationships.

Where is everyone? At the table, marching, sitting in the pews, scrolling through social media, and connecting to the mystery of God’s love and justice.

---

Rev. Brandon Johnson joined First Christian Church in Burbank, CA after serving congregations in Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Iowa. Brandon holds a BA in Religion and History from Transylvania University and a Master of Divinity from Yale University Divinity School. With a theological focus on community organizing, social justice, and liberation, Brandon strives to create spaces of social transformation, God’s beloved community, and hospitality.

Currently, Brandon provides leadership for local non-profits and denominational ministries including the Burbank Human Relations Council, Burbank YMCA, the Anti-Racism and Pro-Reconciliation Committee of the Pacific Southwest Region, and the Higher Education and Leadership Ministries (HELM) of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Brandon is a recipient of the “Light Bearer & Table Turner” award from AllianceQ, the denomination’s LGBTQ+ alliance, in recognition of being an “ally, accomplice, and activist.”