Introducing the Groomsmen: Jonathan

Of all the groomsmen, Jonathan has known Luke the longest.  They met in the Autumn of 2001; Luke had returned from studying abroad in Australia in July.  Both were students and members of Christian Student Fellowship (CSF) at the University of Minnesota, which was a singularly important group in Luke's spiritual growth.  When they met, Jonathan did not yet have the beard or mustache.

Jonathan and Luke became friends in CSF.  They have much in common, including their faith and a desire to wrestle with difficult and important questions.  On issues ranging from childbearing to global warming to the interpretation of Genesis to cosmology, they often have strongly divergent views; however, and they also share a mutual respect and durable friendship even when their answers sharply differ.  They have both grown and learned much through their friendship.

Jonathan recently received his MBA from the Carlson School of Management; he works at Syngenta as a NAFTA Business Development Analyst.  He lives in the Twin Cities with his wife Christina, who is a professional photographer and took the photograph above.  They have welcomed into their home a black Labrador Retriever named Dietriech and their daughter Luciana Shalom, who was born on Sep. 3, 2009.