Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. Luke 24:36b-43
“In every genuine act of caring, God is the agent and I the conduit. God gives Himself through my self-giving; God presences in and through my presencing… The Greek word for “presence” is parousia, a term typically used by theologians to describe the promised Second Coming of Christ that will inaugurate the kingdom of heaven once and for all. But another meaning of parousia is “arrival or “completion.” When we become caring presences, we allow the divine qualities of availability, intimacy, meaning, and creativity to shine through us…”
Kerry Walters in Practicing Presence: The Spirituality of Caring in Everyday Life (Franklin, WI: Sheed & Ward, 2001) 26-27.
As I think about the gift of the presence of Christ between the Resurrection and the Ascension, I marvel at all that He brings to every setting. He startles and frightens while simultaneously bringing peace, joy, and amazement. He’s so out of this world we think He’s a ghost and so down to earth that He sits and enjoys a meal with us. That’s the gift of presence.
My wife is a spiritual director who meets with many women on a monthly or otherwise regular basis to encourage them in their relationship with the Risen Christ! A couple days ago I asked her to share the highlight of her day. She paused, thought for a second, and then commented on the joy of being present with people and feeling like God gave them what they needed through her. She got to be a caring conduit for God!
Think about it. Like Jesus, our generosity toward others is far more than financial. We get to meet people where they are. Our presence might shake and wake them. We might stir and spur them. It may appear both extraordinary and mundane. But if we are conduits of God’s love, we allow God’s peace to arrive, His joy to fill them, and amazing things happen. Give the gift of presence. Serve as a conduit of God’s love.