Eating Peaches with Jesus
In a season of darkness, my friend told Jesus to be silent. Here’s what he did instead of speak.
After three years of sending daily emails, I asked readers to tell me their favorite, or what had been the most life-changing, or what had staying power.
My friend Kellie wrote, “Some of my favorite emails are your poetry … they’re just so good. The poems stop me in my tracks; they are powerful and arresting. Favorites in the last year have been ‘Eating Peaches with Jesus’ and your recent ‘Talk About God.’
I especially loved this praise of poetry, because in March 2020, I went on a five hour hike to talk to Jesus about whether to send daily emails. Yes, I had been writing messages daily since the previous August 1, just to see if I could, but just because I had the capacity didn’t mean I was supposed to.
And I wasn’t convinced I wanted to send a long email on a Sunday morning: at that time, many people still went to church on Sunday mornings.
During that walk, Jesus said, “You can send a poem every Sunday.”
Ah. Perfect.
“Eating Peaches with Jesus”
My friend went through dark days.
Jesus, don’t speak a word to me for a year.
Every week after kickboxing,
She had ten minutes to meditate.
On the darkest weeks, she was in a
Dark cave where no one could find her.
But Jesus sat with her. Silently.
The other weeks, she sat under
A blooming cherry tree, surrounded by beauty.
Jesus sat across from her and cut peaches
And fed the slices to her. Silently.
“Talk About God”
We must begin to talk about God. Which is like saying that we must learn to stare at the sun. —N.T. Wright
The idea of God in the present day is something like
A bully
An expletive
A passé idea (does anyone really believe that any more?)
An easily appeased minor deity that can be placated with some good deeds
But nothing
So majestic
So real
So glorious
So painful
So life-changing
As staring at the sun
If you, like Kellie, delight in short, thoughtful poems like those above, prepare to be excited!
Ruminating Poems: https://happybooks.me/Ruminating
Ruminating Poems 2: https://happybooks.me/Ruminating2
Advent Poems: https://happybooks.me/adventpoemsprint