I had been going to school for my bachelors at SDSU for five years before I found Agape in January of last year. In all that time, I may have made friends in passing, or built connections with my fellow classmates, but I never really felt like I had someone I could actually talk to. That all changed one day in my final semester before graduation, when a friend asked me if I wanted to go on a retreat. Agape was described to me as a “spiritual resource center” and they were hosting a start-of-the-winter-semester mindfulness retreat. Little did I know just how life changing this retreat, and Agape as a whole, would be for me. After returning from the retreat, we made it a goal to eat a home cooked meal together as a little build-your-own family at least once every two weeks for the rest of the semester. It’s hard to describe the lasting effect these meals had on me - it was a safe space to express myself and know I would be accepted, no matter the baggage I carried.
After graduating, I got the privilege of continuing my education at SDSU in studying for my master’s, and every Wednesday this year without fail, I have been able to gather with my fellow Agapeans for just a moment to relax. Through rain or shine, Agape leaders Greg Tuttle and Reverend Darin Johnson, ensure that they are there to offer a place of refuge for the students. People from all different walks of life feel welcomed to come join under the tent in the grass and just hang out and eat - because who doesn’t love free pizza? The word Agape means open, and that’s both what Agape does and is: an open, safe space to come and relax and be yourself without fear of being judged or turned away, and while feeling supported enough to explore any areas in your life that you wish to see growth without guilt or fear. So thank you Agape. Thank you Heather and Eitan. Thank you Greg and Darin. Thank you for supporting the growth and healing of all people, with the same unconditional love and kindness that the whole world so desperately needs.
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