“I think the best lessons we can teach people are the one’s that we live with our lives.” From an early age, Johnathan Johnson was considered a teacher of sorts. “I have been preaching since I was 14 years old.”
Now 21, Johnathan admits high school was different for him than most kids.
“My peers were looking to me for advice, but I was going through all these different things at one time too. I had nobody my age there to really level with me.”
He gives credit to his father and pastor Dr. Murphy Simon as two of the people who inspired and motivated him Johnson says, “My father instilled in me how to be the man I am today. Watching him work all of his life to get me to this point taught me to stay grounded.”
His pastor Dr. Simon, whom Johnson considers one of his best friends, was going …show more content…
A high school friend was shot and killed, and Johnathan fell into what he describes as depression.
“I realized, I don’t have the answers for this one. This is one that got me going to the word, it still stung for me to do at the moment so, how can I look at them and say ‘God is going to take care of it’ when I’m frozen myself?”
The day of his friend’s funeral he wrote a poem that he said touched everyone who knew and loved his friend as much and more than him.
“Talk to God for me, is from my soul and is one of my best poems. It was transparent, I’m the one that y’all come to when y’all need someone to intercede on y’all’s behalf, but my heart is in pieces too.”
He looks at this as a time of character building. “This was a reflective moment. It was a vulnerable moment in fact, which to me, is not a bad thing. It was a vulnerable moment that let people see, if preacher of all people is feeling bad about this, If he’s got these questions, it’s okay for us to feel this pain.”
A good friend and fellow pastor, Toddrick Johnson, gave Johnathan some advice during a conversation that he says stuck with
Now 21, Johnathan admits high school was different for him than most kids.
“My peers were looking to me for advice, but I was going through all these different things at one time too. I had nobody my age there to really level with me.”
He gives credit to his father and pastor Dr. Murphy Simon as two of the people who inspired and motivated him Johnson says, “My father instilled in me how to be the man I am today. Watching him work all of his life to get me to this point taught me to stay grounded.”
His pastor Dr. Simon, whom Johnson considers one of his best friends, was going …show more content…
A high school friend was shot and killed, and Johnathan fell into what he describes as depression.
“I realized, I don’t have the answers for this one. This is one that got me going to the word, it still stung for me to do at the moment so, how can I look at them and say ‘God is going to take care of it’ when I’m frozen myself?”
The day of his friend’s funeral he wrote a poem that he said touched everyone who knew and loved his friend as much and more than him.
“Talk to God for me, is from my soul and is one of my best poems. It was transparent, I’m the one that y’all come to when y’all need someone to intercede on y’all’s behalf, but my heart is in pieces too.”
He looks at this as a time of character building. “This was a reflective moment. It was a vulnerable moment in fact, which to me, is not a bad thing. It was a vulnerable moment that let people see, if preacher of all people is feeling bad about this, If he’s got these questions, it’s okay for us to feel this pain.”
A good friend and fellow pastor, Toddrick Johnson, gave Johnathan some advice during a conversation that he says stuck with