Dear Friends,
When you receive this letter I will finally be in Nepal. As I write now, though, I am sitting in central California with green hills to my back, and my eyes locked on the waves crashing against the beautiful coast. The high today is 68 degrees. Are you Midwesterners jealous? My time here has been made up of needed solitude and reflection, as well as enjoying the California winter with a good friend, before embarking on this journey.
In my last letter, I wrote about the blessings that being with the poor (in Nepal) offers. There is connection there. People know one another. And it seems like this is easier to find there than in Minnetonka, Minnesota. I find this to be true with God as well. In the depths of darkness, the light is stronger. We are overwhelmed by despair, and so turn to God, and find his presence feeling closer than ever.
This conversation has continued these past few weeks, and the past few days while I’ve been alone in California, so I will continue it here in your monthly glimpse into my soul. It has continued because it cannot end there. Nepal cannot become this ideal. I have found myself thinking: once I get back to Nepal – then I will find connection with God, then I will find connection with people, then I will find the life I want. Surely, this is true in some ways. But it has to be more than this. Connection with God and with people has to be possible in Minnetonka. This connection is what we are made for, and Jesus came to restore it.
To keep this short (maybe) I want to say that connection with God and others is possible regardless of your geographical location. I do think it can be found among the poor, and I encourage you to seek out Jesus within the poor in your own communities. I believe God’s heart is there with the poor. Beyond this, though, I believe that this connection can be found in your own homes, schools, businesses, and churches. Connection with God is possible when we realize that the Spirit of the living God is all around us and inside us, inviting us to be with him in relationship and connection. And I believe connection is possible when we tear down the walls around us that have been built up by affluence and extreme individualism, and when we become a people who share in each others’ struggles and pains. Though they are less obvious than with the poor in Nepal, these pains are there. People go through divorces, depression, loneliness, and addictions. When we share these with each other and enter into this pain, Nepal no longer needs to be the ideal, and we can find real connection and real life with the people around us.
I am usually not into the daily devotional books, but I recently received one that I think speaks into this longing for connection, so I’m going to roll with it. It’s called “Jesus Calling,” and they are words Sarah Young wrote down as she felt God speaking to her. Here’s a recent entry:
“Peace be with you! Ever since the resurrection, this has been My watchword to those who yearn for Me. As you sit quietly, let My Peace settle over you and enfold you in My loving presence. To provide this radiant Peace for you, I died a criminal’s death. Receive My Peace abundantly and thankfully. It is a rare treasure, dazzling in delicate beauty yet strong enough to withstand all onslaughts. Wear My Peace with regal dignity. It will keep your heart and mind close to mine.”
May you seek and find true connection with God and with the people around you. And may God’s peace enfold you in his loving presence.
Now, for a few orders of business: First, if you are over these letters, send me an email and I’ll take you off the list. Or, if you’re like me and have a need to avoid confrontation, you can send an email to prayer.letters@wordmadeflesh.com and they’ll take you off the list. Or maybe you’re just ‘going green’ and would prefer getting this as an email rather than using all that paper. Again, just let me know and we’ll make it happen (and if this is the case let me know if you still want to receive WMF’s quarterly magazine, The Cry). Finally, I have a mailing address in Nepal, and I am definitely not opposed to receiving snail mail and/or care packages, if you feel so lead.
Peace and love friends,