Greater Indianapolis has lost one of its greatest Christian unity champions of life despite death on the streets of greater Indianapolis. Joe Zelenka represented all of us at The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis when he ministered to victims of violent death, at the sites of their violent deaths, for approximately 15 years. He passed on to eternal life on Jan. 13. Services were held on Jan. 18 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.
Few people can rise to the occasion of ministry at the intersection of life and violent death on a regular basis. Few people understand and recognize the fragility of having the breath of life and the stillness that comes without breath in violent death. Few people can love without regard for the social boundaries that ensnare us and prevent us from seeing the beauty of all of humanity and live out a calling of protecting and serving as a conduit for the sanctification of it. Yet, Joe Zelenka was one of the people who embodied all of this with a daily rugged passion and sternness in the act of ministry on our streets.
The women at the tomb of Jesus understood this role in the Bible. They represented a tradition that beautified and honored the deceased. They gave watch over the deceased but gave testimony to the resurrected Lord and celebrated life even in death.
Joe Zelenka was a Christian champion of life even in death. He served at The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis in this role as he led prayer vigils and testimonies of lives taken by the horror of violence on the streets of greater Indianapolis. He did not care who it was or where it was; he was there representing the churches throughout greater Indianapolis and their profession of faith that Jesus the Christ was the resurrected Lord. He diligently and faithfully lived out his calling to remember and celebrate the lives of these beloved ones in our community-wide services of remembrance and peace, as well as the prayer vigils. Hundreds of families were remembered and publicly celebrated because of his labors. He also lived at this intersection with more than 20 years of ministry service leading delegations to provide medical care to Haiti.
We give thanks to God for Joe Zelenka for what he gave to all of us by remembering and standing with those on our streets who perished at the hands of violence and their beloved families. May we go and fight for better conditions for life and remember the lives of those who have suffered violent death.
Angelique Walker-Smith is the former executive director of The Church Federation of Greater Indianapolis.
