We talk about presence all the time when we are talking about how to offer support to people who are grieving. Early in my chaplaincy journey, I wrote, “Intentional non-invasive presence” on my clipboard to remind me of what do to, what to be.

As part of a research project that will be out soon, I suggested that “Presence is the heart of pastoral ministry. Moreover, it’s the heart of gospel ministry.”

Having said that, now I’m working to understand how we might find presence at the heart of what Jesus did.

We remember the preaching. We memorize parts of that.

We remember the miracles. We turn them into expectations.

I’m not sure we think about the in-betweens, the long stretches that create the context for the other things.

And yet, most of our life isn’t the miracles or the preaching.

Instead, most of our life is the living with unmiracled bodies. Most of our life is having things happen and thinking, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

What are the options for how to respond or react?

I think we can look at the choices that Jesus made for his time and attention.

Early in the gospel of Matthew, we read that Jesus will be called Immanuel, which means “God with us.” At the end of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is quoted as saying, “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”

If presence characterizes the story of Jesus, then walking through the ways and places Jesus was present would help us learn how we can be present with others and how he was and is present with us.

As I’m building this out for the class, I’ve noted that Jesus was present in celebrations, present in meals, present in grief, present in difficulties, present in conversations, present in pain, present in protecting learners. I’m also noting the times when he talks about intentionally being absent.

I’ll share more in the future. But I wanted to start our thinking.