What happens when God calls you to a life different from what you had dreamt up for yourself? With long-standing plans to play basketball professionally, rapper and activist who goes by Reflect initially felt uncomfortable when the Lord called him to community outreach instead of the court. In this episode of VOICES’ Where Ya From? podcast, Reflect joins host Rasool Berry to discuss giving God control and Jesus’ heart for justice.
Guest Bio:
Donal Cogdell Jr., also known as “Reflect,” is a passionate educator, hip-hop artist, motivational speaker, and minister of justice/advocacy. He serves as the National Director of Development for the K.I.N.G. Movement founded by Chris Broussard and as the Director of Justice for Hope Astoria Church in Queens, NY. As a hip-hop artist, he’s also released three albums, the latest of which is called “New History.”
Donal aims to be a pioneering Christian leader and in the spirit of community reform and revitalization, he hopes to one day open an educational institution focused on empowering African Americans to fulfill their potential and to combat systemic injustices harming Black & Brown communities. In his free time, Donal enjoys debating sports, writing, and playing basketball.
Notes & Quotes:
“When you don’t anticipate the fruit coming from a destination the way you expected, it doesn’t mean that God is not moving . . . .”
On seeking justice, “I think sometimes as Christians we feel like, “Okay, it’s just good enough to do good works, and love people, love your neighbor.” But in the Bible, we see firsthand prophets that speak out against kings . . . .”
“Justice is not just an Old Testament thing. Justice is central to the New Testament as well because it’s who God is.”
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