This Present Darkness scared the ever living shit out of me when I read it in college. Today when my 4 year old daughter was having a hard time (i.e. convinced herself she couldn’t possibly put her toys away on her own and trying to convinced me, too) I just snuggled in behind her and said, “I’m here with you.” Did it fix it? Nope. But I’m hoping she felt less alone in her preschool angst.
I just found this site tonight thru Wholehearted Faith. Not sure I can put into words what I felt inside when I read the words: “I’m here.” I know I read the words with my eyes, but it was like my soul HEARD the words - if that makes any sense.
I started to comment yesterday, and stopped because it was feeling too disjointed but I want to thank you so much for this pastoral sharing. It has ministered to me during such a difficult week.
I will say that you picking up on the significance of I am Here was a deep blessing to me in a time when I needed to hear from God. Words of peace and reassurance.
Your tone is just so helpful Jeff. There's a lot I just can't read because it's not reaching me these days. It's just more information. More of someone else's thoughts, but you write so pastorally.
This last part is odd, but I have to share it with you. My spirit likes to develop an image or something to lean into. It's a dance I do. The situation with Ukraine has brought up the image of David and Goliath but I also kept coming to the Bear. The Russian Bear. See the thing is I like bears. ALOT. And I didn't want to imagine this big mean bear as Putin unless there was another nice bear in this scenario. Welcome to my world of symbology and resistance. I don't want to demonize even Putin, but I do need to characterize his behavior.
I kept coming back to Russia as the bear but no...only if it was a big Goliath bear. How could I lean into this imagery unless Ukraine was also a bear but a good bear? I finally left it.
Then I open your writing and I'm feeling drawn in, and you tell me that the President of Ukraine was the voice of Paddington the Bear. In that moment I actually saw a little glimpse in my peripheral of the arrangement of my plants, and the shadows looked just like Paddington standing next to me. I know absolutely that sounds indulgent. But I saw that and I received the message "I am here" in my spirit and it all came together as a deep moment of sweetness that melted me. The gentleness of God is with me. And with the whole world. The big rabid bear will not succeed. The future belongs to the gentle. This tyrannical sense of leadership is being exorcised from our collective ways.
My heart goes out to the Russian people. No one wants this. But God is here. Gentleness has not lost. God is here.
I wanted to make some kind of an image of this experience, (I realize this seems antithetical to what you shared about not caricaturing the enemy, and I hope it doesn't come across that way it's more of me storyboarding symbology but with tenderness) and I googled "Paddington" and discovered that there is someone named Jay the Chou who has been "photoshopping" Paddington into major motion picture still shots. Some of them are oddly comforting (standing with the heros of Star Wars). This seemed all too synchronous. Gentleness will be in every scene. Love wins.
Some day. At some point. One day... my brain will work sufficiently to express in English - which is not my mother tongue - my gratitude for ... well, for YOU! Jeff, you write so beautifully and you make space for ... all of it. Justice and lack thereof. Pain. Suffering. - And beauty. Hope. Etc. And you do so with that farmer's voice and sensibility to avoid all of it becoming ethereal, body-less theology/philosophy. Thank you. For this "I'm Here" - and all the other notes you send out into the world.
"I am here." Such powerful words and says it all. We are here to listen, to grieve, to embrace, to learn, to cheer others on, to serve, to pray, to wonder, to question, to feed, and on and on. The world needs us to keep saying "I am here." Thank you, Jeff!
Thank you, Jeff, for the these wise, soft, gently stirring words. There is such kindness and quiet hope in them, in the midst of the uncertainty and fear of this difficult time. I think I need to reflect and process these words a little longer before I can muster some more thoughts in response, especially in regard to the point about how we can try to understand evil. For now I just wanted to say thank you, for sharing wisdom and insights and gentle encouragement towards action.
I wonder if you might ever consider recording these essays as a podcast (rather like the lovely Sarah Bessey does with her wonderful Field Notes). There is so much goodness and food for thought I’m your writing, and I for one would find it wonderful to be able to listen to you speak the words. Your voice is very calming and also I find, especially after the last two years, that the spoken word can be easier to tap into and absorb than prose in an email. I would be very happy to support your work with a subscription, like Patreon or similar (indeed even if you didn’t record these writings as a podcast - though I would love that). Just a suggestion. Thank you again for sharing your words.
This Present Darkness scared the ever living shit out of me when I read it in college. Today when my 4 year old daughter was having a hard time (i.e. convinced herself she couldn’t possibly put her toys away on her own and trying to convinced me, too) I just snuggled in behind her and said, “I’m here with you.” Did it fix it? Nope. But I’m hoping she felt less alone in her preschool angst.
I just found this site tonight thru Wholehearted Faith. Not sure I can put into words what I felt inside when I read the words: “I’m here.” I know I read the words with my eyes, but it was like my soul HEARD the words - if that makes any sense.
I started to comment yesterday, and stopped because it was feeling too disjointed but I want to thank you so much for this pastoral sharing. It has ministered to me during such a difficult week.
I will say that you picking up on the significance of I am Here was a deep blessing to me in a time when I needed to hear from God. Words of peace and reassurance.
Your tone is just so helpful Jeff. There's a lot I just can't read because it's not reaching me these days. It's just more information. More of someone else's thoughts, but you write so pastorally.
This last part is odd, but I have to share it with you. My spirit likes to develop an image or something to lean into. It's a dance I do. The situation with Ukraine has brought up the image of David and Goliath but I also kept coming to the Bear. The Russian Bear. See the thing is I like bears. ALOT. And I didn't want to imagine this big mean bear as Putin unless there was another nice bear in this scenario. Welcome to my world of symbology and resistance. I don't want to demonize even Putin, but I do need to characterize his behavior.
I kept coming back to Russia as the bear but no...only if it was a big Goliath bear. How could I lean into this imagery unless Ukraine was also a bear but a good bear? I finally left it.
Then I open your writing and I'm feeling drawn in, and you tell me that the President of Ukraine was the voice of Paddington the Bear. In that moment I actually saw a little glimpse in my peripheral of the arrangement of my plants, and the shadows looked just like Paddington standing next to me. I know absolutely that sounds indulgent. But I saw that and I received the message "I am here" in my spirit and it all came together as a deep moment of sweetness that melted me. The gentleness of God is with me. And with the whole world. The big rabid bear will not succeed. The future belongs to the gentle. This tyrannical sense of leadership is being exorcised from our collective ways.
My heart goes out to the Russian people. No one wants this. But God is here. Gentleness has not lost. God is here.
I wanted to make some kind of an image of this experience, (I realize this seems antithetical to what you shared about not caricaturing the enemy, and I hope it doesn't come across that way it's more of me storyboarding symbology but with tenderness) and I googled "Paddington" and discovered that there is someone named Jay the Chou who has been "photoshopping" Paddington into major motion picture still shots. Some of them are oddly comforting (standing with the heros of Star Wars). This seemed all too synchronous. Gentleness will be in every scene. Love wins.
Some day. At some point. One day... my brain will work sufficiently to express in English - which is not my mother tongue - my gratitude for ... well, for YOU! Jeff, you write so beautifully and you make space for ... all of it. Justice and lack thereof. Pain. Suffering. - And beauty. Hope. Etc. And you do so with that farmer's voice and sensibility to avoid all of it becoming ethereal, body-less theology/philosophy. Thank you. For this "I'm Here" - and all the other notes you send out into the world.
Thank you Jeff.. I needed to hear I am here and I needed to sing along with Audry Assad Immanuel's Land tonight...
"I am here." Such powerful words and says it all. We are here to listen, to grieve, to embrace, to learn, to cheer others on, to serve, to pray, to wonder, to question, to feed, and on and on. The world needs us to keep saying "I am here." Thank you, Jeff!
Thank you for your sharing.
Thank you for this Jeff. So much to take in, such a generous gift. THANKYOU!!!!
Thank you, Jeff, for the these wise, soft, gently stirring words. There is such kindness and quiet hope in them, in the midst of the uncertainty and fear of this difficult time. I think I need to reflect and process these words a little longer before I can muster some more thoughts in response, especially in regard to the point about how we can try to understand evil. For now I just wanted to say thank you, for sharing wisdom and insights and gentle encouragement towards action.
One further brief thought -
I wonder if you might ever consider recording these essays as a podcast (rather like the lovely Sarah Bessey does with her wonderful Field Notes). There is so much goodness and food for thought I’m your writing, and I for one would find it wonderful to be able to listen to you speak the words. Your voice is very calming and also I find, especially after the last two years, that the spoken word can be easier to tap into and absorb than prose in an email. I would be very happy to support your work with a subscription, like Patreon or similar (indeed even if you didn’t record these writings as a podcast - though I would love that). Just a suggestion. Thank you again for sharing your words.