Berkeley, California, is known for being the home to the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s. It was and is the site of many protests, drawing vocal minorities to Sproul Plaza and People’s Park for demonstrations, activism, and public assembly. So it’s come to symbolize what it means to speak out and be heard. But what does it mean to minister to an energized public square?
In this Conversing Short, Mark Labberton thinks back to his time ministering in Berkeley. First Presbyterian Church remains a close neighbour to the University of California, Berkeley, campus. He describes an approach to public engagement marked by generous listening, a desire to know the individuals so moved to protest and speak out, and a faithful presence to a community dedicated to protest and activism.
