The first time I knew for sure that Jason Evans and I were going to be friends, we were at 2Amys. 2Amys is a DC pizza staple, in my opinion a close second behind Capitol Hill’s We, The Pizza. (New Yorkers will tell you that there is no real pizza in DC, but they can go back to New York to eat their pizza there if they like.) 2Amys is great.
Anyway, we were in this largish group of young adults from around the diocese, and I’m sitting across from Jason at the table. I ordered a Santa Brigida, which is this glorious Margharita pizza with piles and piles of fresh arugula. We bless the food and I promptly began shoving this entire pizza salad creation into my mouth, but obviously it’s not going to fit, and arugula is going everywhere. I’m not one to be deterred, so I keep trying and it keeps getting worse and Jason had put down his own pizza and was staring at me from across the table. I look at him dead in the eye and say, “What? I love arugula” and he busts up laughing. That was the moment I knew that he could handle Becky Zartman being Becky Zartman and that we were going to be friends.
As far as I can tell, that was sometime in 2012. Since then he’s been a cheerleader and coach, the bossest boss, and a real friend. He’s also one of the most creative folks I know, and one of his projects is a podcast called A New Thing, where Jason talks to folks who are starting new iterations of Christian community. I’ve been listening since the first episode, and I recommend you subscribe and go back and listen to the first season, especially if you’re at all interested in new possibilities for the project we call church. I also hope you’ll listen to the discussion that Jason and I had which kicked off his new season of A New Thing: The Pandemic Sessions. We talk about hope and faith and evangelism and joy in the midst of uncertainty. Arugula pizza chaos notwithstanding, Jason always brings out the best in me, and I think you’ll like it.
If you’re wondering how we’re going to adapt to the pandemic and where the church goes next, follow Jason. He’s asking the right questions and helping communities figure out what’s next. You can find him on Twitter and on Instagram, or check out his blog and subscribe to his newsletter. You can find our conversation here.