Demarius J. Walker is trying his best to “listen for the sound of the genuine” and play his part in the massive Conspiracy of Love that holds the universe together. He is called to cultivate reconciling communities and facilitate creative encounters that invite people to listen deeply to themselves, one another, and the Divine. Demarius grew up in Atlanta, holds a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from Boston University, and an MA in Christian Formation from Virginia Theological Seminary. He studied Religion and Conflict Transformation at Boston University School of Theology, where he worked in Residence Life, Religious Life, and with the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground, BU’s multicultural student center. He has always found joy in diverse forms of spiritual expression and his journey into the ministry of reconciliation was deepened by his time with the Community of St. Anselm in London, the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland, Zen Centers in Cambridge and Vermont, Hindu Temples in Atlanta, Baháʼí gatherings in D.C., and the World Council of Churches in Germany. He is receiving an MA in Peace and Social Transformation and going on to complete a Master of Divinity specializing in Spirituality.
As program director of an Episcopal Service Corps community in Indianapolis, Demarius accompanied a group of young adults on a campus visit to ESR and, surprisingly, felt himself led to attend. He is interested in how monastic, new monastic, and intentional spiritual communities feed and are fed by movements for justice, healing, and social transformation, a vocation he shares with his wife Lakshmi, who is also a student at ESR. He seeks to build a bridge between spiritual communities and young adults longing for a better way of life in a society marked by corruption, cruelty, and chaos. By connecting young adults with a safe, inclusive, and visible network of spiritual communities and practices, we can nurture a generation grounded in reconciliation, rekindling our shared humanity and opening the path to a reimagined world that embodies the Divine dream for humanity. Demarius is excited to know, support, and get up to some good trouble with students and the wider community at Earlham.
Shared by the Earlham College Student Engagement Newsletter.