The sumptuousness of presence

Increasingly, I’m becoming convinced that showing up is an act of resistance; that the presence of our bodies filling places and spaces is a blessing.

In a world where many daily activities are being automised, replaced by computers and machines, how beautiful is the gift of simply showing up?

How delightful is it to hear your partner read a book out loud to you? To hear their shaky, vulnerable voice in the still silence of your home in the evening hour.

What connection is there when I look into the eyes of this sales assistant? She looks bored and her eyes dart away from my gentle gaze initially, but when they finally, bravely, shyly, find me she smiles, we connect and there it is – humanity.

I hold my dog close to me and feel her breath, she licks my face and instead of turning away I let her, just to feel her rough tongue on my cheek. I used to cringe at that and now it makes me laugh – her frenzy is infectious.

I enter the room and immediately fill the space, others look at me and I look at them, we greet each other. There is a shift in the atmosphere. We feel each other, the room adjusts to our flesh. Even though we all sit in silence typing away we know each other, we accept these noisy, humming, bodies in this small space – the opposite of being alone.

I sit by his bedside and hold his hand. The sterile environment punctured by our breathing, living presence. I speak to him and he smiles at my voice. The doctor comes to check his blood pressure and heartbeat. Blood seems fine. Heart seems strong. I stroke his thinning hair, kiss his head.

Presence is an extravagance – a sometimes sumptuous gift in a world that is often so disconnected.

Rev. Dr Karina Kreminski, Mission Catalyst – Formation and Fresh Expressions, Uniting Mission and Education. Karina also blogs at An Ordinary Mystic.