Thursday, March 19, 2015

Present

When you find someone
who self-identifies
as agnostic or atheist, hold her
with your heart, tenderly;

for she is often one
who has rejected
others' notions of God

because those ideas failed
to dig deep enough to reach
the place of her pain.

Don't bother to reason
her toward God.
She doesn't need that,
and neither does God.

You might consider
sitting beside her
in silence for as long
as it takes to reach the ache.

The path from grief to hope
is easiest trod with a companion
who neither speaks nor judges;
faithful presence, the greatest gift.

© 2015 Todd Jenkins

1 comment:

  1. Todd, these words reach into my world with such power & truth they almost make me ache. It is true, there is no reasoning. The story is not received with reason or logic, but more like desperation & heart. Faith, too, yes. But faith has a million ways to find her way into the hardest of hearts. I am honored to walk this journey with some of these.

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