Hello BFJN family and welcome to the summer blog series! My name is Maeve Barclay, BFJN’s summer intern, and I will be your author for the next eight weeks.

Who Am I? I was born and raised in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Where is that, you might ask? The closest landmark happens to be 20 minutes away, and is the great city of New York. Therefore, I grew up eating the best pizza and bagels the United States has to offer. I live with my parents and my two younger brothers. I am very close with my family, and they have played a huge role in shaping me into the woman I am today.

Growing up, I attended an Assemblies of God church alongside my family. Additionally, my parents blessed me with the opportunity to learn in a Christian environment. Presently, I attend a non-Denominational church in Peabody, Massachusetts and am studying at Gordon College, a Christian Liberal Arts school in Wenham.

Next year, I will be entering my junior year of college. I am pursuing a double major in political science and philosophy, with a concentration in political theory. Remember those men like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke that your history teacher droned on about in high school? Well, their books, along with many others, are what I spend my days reading.

Now, where does BFJN fit in? Back in the spring, I attended an event that Gordon hosted in which Elizabeth, BFJN’s Executive Director, came to speak about her experience in the legal and nonprofit world. As an aspiring lawyer myself, I went to hear about her experience as an attorney and left passionate about the mission of BFJN.

I am so thankful for the opportunity that BFJN has given me to intern for them this summer. I believe strongly that their work is making a difference and I am thrilled to be a part of their continued strides to bring about justice, particularly within the Christian community.

What can be expected from my blogs? Throughout the course of the summer, I plan to focus on two topics. The first is disability. What is it like to live with a disability in the United States? How about in the Church? What role do Christian’s play in caring for these people? These are questions I hope to shed light on, along with providing insight from my own experience having a brother with severe disabilities.

My second topic is environmentalism. The current state of the climate crisis, the basics of ethical consumption and sustainable living, and the duty of the Church in regards to these areas.

My prayer is that my blogs will bring a new perspective and will spark curiosity in each of you reading. Striving towards biblical justice in these areas is a long road, but I look forward to beginning the journey with you this summer.