About Presence and Absence

After his transformative pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the Reverend Timothy Dale Jones wrote his poems and reflections in Where The Grace Lives. Pondering Jesus’ frequent retreat to the mountain to pray, Tim writes:

“Why did Jesus disappear so often into that small “prayer closet” that nature had hewn for him on the side of a mountain? It wasn’t out of an aversion to the world but rather a profound love for what is. Sometimes, in order to best serve what we love, we have to step back from it until we can see it again through the lens of God’s presence within it. Presence is how God’s love fills the world, but purposeful absence is also a vital part of renewing its work in one’s soul.” (p. 49)

I offer Tim’s poem “About Presence and Absence” for reflection. As you read this poem, what word or phrases speak to you? As you listen with the ear of your heart, what might God be saying to you? How might this be relevant for your life?

About Presence and Absence

The secret to prayer is that there is no secret.

It begins with the love of God. It ends there too.

Being alive to that, is the hermitage we must enter.

God’s presence isn’t private property off in the distance.

It’s always open, always here, always love, and always now.

Enter it as you would a small cave, hidden in the wilderness.

An opening large enough for real doubts and restless questions.

Light a candle. See the truth: “These too are gifts from God.”

Inside, each breath reveals your holy part within all that is.

Be here. Unburden your heart. Receive, forgive, and remember.

Rediscovering things you once knew doesn’t diminish their newness.

The secret to prayer is there is no secret.

It begins with the love of God. It ends there too.

Pentecost blessings, Judy Q +