It’s no mystery why a New York street vendor felt compelled to match the wandering pedestrian that was Joe Dennis with a hat that had the same playful energy. A friendly face under a felt fedora brings to light Joe’s golden aura.
“I knew it was the last time I was going to see him, and he knew it, and his last words were, Be the peacemaker. And so that’s something I definitely want to spread.” Joe Dennis said, sharing the commemorative advice of his father that he’s used to guide him in all aspects of his personal life.
Joe Dennis has many roles in his life: teacher, father, coach, journalist, devoted church member, and hardcore Kesha fan. But each and every one of these stems from his love of interacting with and caring for other people. Which he admits is largely attributed to his father, Walter Dennis, and religious background. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Joe had a “love thy neighbor” environment as he was raised in a very Catholic family. He attended Catholic school for all 12 years of his school career before going to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois, meaning he was no stranger to a Christian mindset. However, Joe’s father, who was on the path of becoming a priest before meeting Joe’s mother, made sure that the Christian values his sons would internalize would be to respect everyone and spread the love of Christ.
“This church that we go to was doing that, and I’m like, well, this is perfect, because it matches my Christian belief that at the core of Christianity is Jesus, being a Christ-centered person, and you should treat everyone with love and respect and not judge. And I found a church that does that, and so I’m all in.”
Religion has been a major factor in Joe’s life, and it still is to this day. Different points in his life morphed his relationship with faith, like many who spend their whole lives with religious influences. Joe shared that once he got to college, he was eager to take a break from the church and became separate from sermons and sanctuary, but once he met his wife, Carla Dennis, who is evangelical, he began going to church with her and reconnected with the Christian community. Once he and his wife married and moved to Georgia, they went through another period where church didn’t factor into their daily lives. But once the tragedy of 9/11 occurred and the entire nation entered a time where they needed faith, Joe and Carla found their way to another local church. Now they’re active members of a united methodist church that perfectly aligns with Joe’s accepting beliefs.
“Yeah, so it’s basically raising them in a way similar to how my dad raised me, where, you know, I tell them not to bully, to see the good in everyone you know, and just to be the light for someone, because you never know how you can change someone’s life at any given day just by a positive interaction.”
Joe has three sons and has made sure to model his parenting after his fathers. He finds it extremely important to pass on the moral code of giving, understanding, and viewing everyone as human that he was raised with. He makes sure that in every family quarrel there is mediation and peace, and he has stressed to them that no matter who you’re talking with, judgment has no place in the conversation.
“You know, it’s funny, because my oldest son just kind of told me, he’s 20 now, and he was like, ‘Man, Dad, you did something right. Because if I see $1 on the ground, I can’t pick it up without looking around and seeing who I should ask. Is there anyone who might have lost his or is asking some stranger, is it yours?’ Yeah, and that meant a lot to me.”
There are many factors to what makes Joe, Joe, but he evidently carries on Walter Dennis’s legacy and the word of God with respect and radiance.
“Really, I was raised as a Christian who truly embraces the love of Christ and tries to spread that in my interactions with people. And so I was raised to never judge people, to not talk bad about people, and so that has been a huge influence for me, as I’ve ventured out into journalism and interviewed people and talked to people, even people that I like vehemently disagree with, I’m able to recognize them as children of God, basically, as fellow humans, and see the good in everyone.”
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