Why Being There Matters More Than What You Say
A gentle reflection on the quiet, sacred power of presence
Lent is often imagined as a season of doing: giving things up, adding disciplines, trying to become better versions of ourselves.
But sometimes the holiest movement of Lent is not activity at all.
Sometimes it is simply learning how to be present.
Today’s reflection explores the quiet, sacred practice of listening, the kind that asks nothing except that we remain.
Sometimes listening feels effortless, like hearing a friend tell a story that makes you laugh.
Other kinds are slower, quieter and more difficult. The kind that requires you to set your own thoughts aside and simply be there without trying to fix, advise or rescue.
Over the years, especially in ministry when visiting those who are sick or nearing the end of their lives, I have learned the hard way that people rarely need the perfect words.
