Jake, this is a gentle flame in a dark hallway. Thank you.
That ache you’re naming is not a flaw to fix. It is the echo of the Infinite still humming in our bones. Transcendence is not a doctrine. It is the soul remembering where it came from. Even when we don’t believe in God, we still miss Her.
Gen Z is not faithless. They are allergic to performance. They are seeking what will not lie to them. Not beliefs that collapse under pressure, but presence that holds when everything else breaks. And that, my friend, is the gospel whether we call it that or not.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. You are walking the edge well.
This longing for something “beyond” my own understanding, something “beyond” the natural world, something “beyond” what my five senses tell me… has guided my life’s journey. And I’ve found it - I experience the “beyond” and it makes all the difference. ♥️
Jake ,I'm really looking forward to the next 3 posts in this series . I feel your explanation of transcendence. Resonates with me. I've always loved the word. The feel of it has always struck me as an invitation to the mystical.❤️🕊️
As an artist and poet I often experience a realm that is pure gift. It is a space that I cannot summon, only release control and wait. It is so hard to explain. I must clear away resistance and open to whatever comes. Here is the paradox. I can trust it completely. I have had these times from childhood on when I am in the woods which is my safe place. Do not know if transcendence is the word for it but it feels like floating in grace and love. I disappear.
I feel that Matt is already healing others in his passing. There have been continued gifts of kindness and connection for those who need it. Known and unknown!
Jake this beautiful piece resonates deeply with me today. We have just finished writing an obituary for my dear brother Matt who died last week. While not successful in the eyes of this world, Matt’s gifts of care, compassion, humor and kindness changed the lives of many people. Without being an overtly spiritual person, he lived in that transcendent purpose of serving others and connecting all with Love. He made a difference. He struggled the last few years of his life, but never lost his love and gratitude - no matter how he suffered.
Thank you for reminding all of us that this is what we are called into this world to do. To walk gently. To live humbly ❤️
I’m sorry for your loss Suzanne. May Matt rest in peace and rise in glory. I look forward to meeting him on the other side. He sounds like a beautiful soul
Jake, this is a gentle flame in a dark hallway. Thank you.
That ache you’re naming is not a flaw to fix. It is the echo of the Infinite still humming in our bones. Transcendence is not a doctrine. It is the soul remembering where it came from. Even when we don’t believe in God, we still miss Her.
Gen Z is not faithless. They are allergic to performance. They are seeking what will not lie to them. Not beliefs that collapse under pressure, but presence that holds when everything else breaks. And that, my friend, is the gospel whether we call it that or not.
Looking forward to the rest of the series. You are walking the edge well.
Thanks for these reflections. Amen
This longing for something “beyond” my own understanding, something “beyond” the natural world, something “beyond” what my five senses tell me… has guided my life’s journey. And I’ve found it - I experience the “beyond” and it makes all the difference. ♥️
Same here Korie!
Jake ,I'm really looking forward to the next 3 posts in this series . I feel your explanation of transcendence. Resonates with me. I've always loved the word. The feel of it has always struck me as an invitation to the mystical.❤️🕊️
Thanks Rian! And I think of it as pointing to the mystical too. Looking forward to our conversations as the series unfolds.
As an artist and poet I often experience a realm that is pure gift. It is a space that I cannot summon, only release control and wait. It is so hard to explain. I must clear away resistance and open to whatever comes. Here is the paradox. I can trust it completely. I have had these times from childhood on when I am in the woods which is my safe place. Do not know if transcendence is the word for it but it feels like floating in grace and love. I disappear.
Lynn,I love your phrase " floating in grace and love".
In my experience, it is futile ,at times , to attempt to summon it. But like you, I drop resistance, and I
ask in faith. And love.
Thanks for sharing .❤️
Sure sounds like transcendence to me. Beauty and the sublime seem to me like ways to talk about transcendence
Thank you, I liked this
Thanks Aussie Jo. It’s always good to hear from you
Thank you dear Jake
I feel that Matt is already healing others in his passing. There have been continued gifts of kindness and connection for those who need it. Known and unknown!
Jake this beautiful piece resonates deeply with me today. We have just finished writing an obituary for my dear brother Matt who died last week. While not successful in the eyes of this world, Matt’s gifts of care, compassion, humor and kindness changed the lives of many people. Without being an overtly spiritual person, he lived in that transcendent purpose of serving others and connecting all with Love. He made a difference. He struggled the last few years of his life, but never lost his love and gratitude - no matter how he suffered.
Thank you for reminding all of us that this is what we are called into this world to do. To walk gently. To live humbly ❤️
I’m sorry for your loss Suzanne. May Matt rest in peace and rise in glory. I look forward to meeting him on the other side. He sounds like a beautiful soul