Surviving the Desert

Matthew Vire • February 17, 2026

A Message for Our Moment

This Sunday, The Garden is honored to welcome Josh Riddick, Indiana State Director for LiveFree USA—our first‑quarter Big Give recipient. Josh is a community organizer and justice advocate whose work focuses on building models of public safety that move beyond traditional, punitive approaches. He also leads messaging and communications efforts aimed at reducing the impact of political misinformation and disinformation on Black men.


Josh earned his master’s degree in Religious Education and Leadership from Rochester University in 2022. Across all his roles, he is guided by the intersections of identity, spirituality, and justice, and by a deep commitment to developing emerging Black leaders.



Josh will bring this Sunday’s message, exploring the parallels between our world today and the world Jesus inhabited. The time of Jesus was marked by profound political tension and social pressure. Living under Roman occupation, Jesus proactively responded with radical love in a social landscape shaped by surveillance, instability, and the threat of violence.


In the gospel story of Jesus’ time in the desert, we see a season of grounding, a space where he seeks clarity and summons courage before stepping back into his work of challenging the systems of his day. Josh will help us reflect on how this speaks to us now, inviting us to consider how the story equips us to confront the violence of our own government and usher in a different kind of political reality with integrity, compassion, and hope.


We look forward to gathering with you as we welcome Josh, learn from his experience, and continue exploring what it means to live out a spiritually grounded, justice‑centered faith.


Josh Riddick (he/him/his) is a community organizer and justice advocate based in Indianapolis. Since moving to Indianapolis, he has served as a pastor, racial equity trainer, and civic dialogue facilitator, and now organizes with the LiveFree Indiana. His work centers on building models of public safety that move beyond carceral and law enforcement responses. In addition to his organizing, Josh leads messaging and communications initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of political misinformation and disinformation on Black men. He earned his masters degree in Religious Education and Leadership from Rochester University in 2022. Across all his roles, Josh is guided by the intersections of identity, spirituality, and justice, and by a deep commitment to developing emerging Black leaders.

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