Easy does it.

Dear Church,

So, I’m walking around with a little felt turtle in my pocket. Maybe you are, too. I pull it out and hold it several times a day. I gave one away to Frances, as we passed each other coming and going this week. I can tell you it’s working, at least for me. It’s helping. I’m taking a slow and steady pace as we approach Advent, week three.

Honestly, I’m having fun with it. It’s a welcome change in a world that seems to demand a faster pace from me, from us every, single year, half-year, quarter-year, or month. Our instincts tell us that care of the soul comes slowly not quickly. Care of the soul requires savoring, lingering, meandering, pondering. You can’t “put a rush” on care of the soul or “hotwire” it.

Zooey and Lyons, some new-ish members of our St. John’s family dropped me a book this week. It’s awesome. It’s called The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaning. Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham wrote it. Maybe you’ve read it. A line stuck out (well several do, but this one relates.)

“As life speeded up, as the possibility of both communication and annihilation became evermore instantaneous, people came to have less tolerance for that which comes only over time.”

I love that. And I love that they put communication and annihilation together—wonderful, insightful, profound, prescient.

The turtle, the book, and y’all are reminding me this season of Advent that taking time, claiming it, to prepare for LOVE’S creative arrival on the scene, again, is worth it. Sure, we know the story, I mean the story line—babe born in a barn, but are we living with it, and inviting it to be in conversation with our lives, letting it speak to our struggle, nurture our pain, and announce our success and joy?

If you’re with me here, I should also tell you, in the interest of transparency, I got pulled over on Saturday! In the park. Going to get our Christmas tree. With my turtle in my pocket. Breathe, y’all. Easy does it. Go easy on one another. Take it down a notch or two. We want to be those who would’ve noticed the star in the sky, right? If slow and steady doesn’t, in fact, win the race, it most certainly makes the journey richer, fuller, deeper.

Love,

Jimmy