I will miss the inexhaustible ordinariness of life at home. The world outside these walls is awfully scary right now, but when I'm here, with my partner and kids (9 and 7), I feel such joyful ease...most of the time. I've also felt a lot of what they used to call melancholy, but it's like a receptive melancholy. I really like it.
I will miss the inexhaustible ordinariness of life at home. The world outside these walls is awfully scary right now, but when I'm here, with my partner and kids (9 and 7), I feel such joyful ease...most of the time. I've also felt a lot of what they used to call melancholy, but it's like a receptive melancholy. I really like it.
I am worried that we (my family, our neighborhood, our community, distant strangers, me, you) will be unsafe, but mostly I worry that I'm not worried enough. I am worried, but, despite all of the evidence that should persuade me otherwise, I have a lot of faith in people right now.
I didn't expect the limitations of this time to so forcefully remind me of who I really am.
I am daily reminded that one of the greatest evils of evil people is their ability to make other people hate them. The worst among us seem to bring out the worst in others. And so I have to risk love, that harsh and dreadful love in action. I need to show up in radical love knowing I am walking in the presence of everyone one of you who does the same. I don't know where we're all going, but I know we're accompanied in friendship and commitment by each other.
A few weeks into Minnesota's safe at home order, an employee from Saint Paul Public Schools called our house and her first question was, "Is there anything you need?" I said we were doing fine. She said, "Good. We're calling everybody just to make sure." I'm reasonably confident I can't write about the brief but profound connection I felt with this woman. It was the first (but not last!) time a very random interaction with someone brought me to tears. Add that to the list of things I'll miss.
I love your observation about the greatest evil of evil people. I see that in myself sometimes, my 'hating' of certain people I have decided are evil. A friend told me last night when I made a comment about good triumphing over evil, that perhaps I could consider love winning over ignorance. That's 2 perspectives in as many days (yours Jacob, and hers) that has created a shift in my thinking. I'm grateful.
I will miss the inexhaustible ordinariness of life at home. The world outside these walls is awfully scary right now, but when I'm here, with my partner and kids (9 and 7), I feel such joyful ease...most of the time. I've also felt a lot of what they used to call melancholy, but it's like a receptive melancholy. I really like it.
I am worried that we (my family, our neighborhood, our community, distant strangers, me, you) will be unsafe, but mostly I worry that I'm not worried enough. I am worried, but, despite all of the evidence that should persuade me otherwise, I have a lot of faith in people right now.
I didn't expect the limitations of this time to so forcefully remind me of who I really am.
I am daily reminded that one of the greatest evils of evil people is their ability to make other people hate them. The worst among us seem to bring out the worst in others. And so I have to risk love, that harsh and dreadful love in action. I need to show up in radical love knowing I am walking in the presence of everyone one of you who does the same. I don't know where we're all going, but I know we're accompanied in friendship and commitment by each other.
A few weeks into Minnesota's safe at home order, an employee from Saint Paul Public Schools called our house and her first question was, "Is there anything you need?" I said we were doing fine. She said, "Good. We're calling everybody just to make sure." I'm reasonably confident I can't write about the brief but profound connection I felt with this woman. It was the first (but not last!) time a very random interaction with someone brought me to tears. Add that to the list of things I'll miss.
"a receptive melancholy" -- !!! I think I want to read a whole essay on that. Thank you for this.
I love your observation about the greatest evil of evil people. I see that in myself sometimes, my 'hating' of certain people I have decided are evil. A friend told me last night when I made a comment about good triumphing over evil, that perhaps I could consider love winning over ignorance. That's 2 perspectives in as many days (yours Jacob, and hers) that has created a shift in my thinking. I'm grateful.
LOVE that friend's re-frame. Thank you for gifting it to us.
Thank you, Vicki. Here’s to love winning over ignorance.