I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council Member Dena Jennings’ reflection and poem Just a Taste.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. — Letter to the Corinthians
These are troubling times. Uncertainty emerges in ways I never expected. I am sure this is what many of the Desert Elders felt about the Roman Empire in their day. Rather than escape to a monastery or a retreat, I choose to be monks in the world. Occasionally, I am faced with the reality of lost hope. If you experience the same, sit with that feeling. Know that in all things, God remains constant and will deliver. As I am reminded in 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 hope is in Christ’s example of grace. For me, I have seen this hope modeled by my ancestors over generations of triumph. I found their voices in this poem.
Just a Taste
Somewhere amidst the headlines
And the deep dives,
The cold view from 30,000 feet
Into that rabbit hole
I lost my hope for justice
I’ve been hungry for it
For so long
I forgot its taste
My eyes peer over my lonely mouth
Searching for the savory
Satiation of justice while settling
For sweet peace
Peace that passes understanding and
Sits with the pain of grief and
The hopelessness of
Justice denied
Oh, I’ll renew my search for justice
Wait and see—
That’s what we do
My mother, my grandmother
Her grandmothers, and aunties
We bake for it, ache for it
Prep, chop, and baste for it
We hungrily serve it to others
With just a taste of justice
Just a morsel in our silent mouths
To make sure it is right
For anyone and everyone else
Not too hot, not too spicy, not too bland
To serve mankind
Yes we lick the taste of hope
A memory stuck on our
Parched hungry lips
And wait for grief’s peace to sit
Dena Jennings, D.O. is a luthier, musician, writer, Virginia Master Naturalist, and an Internal Medicine physician with certification in Ayurvedic practice. In addition to over 30 years of medical practice, she completed a 4-year apprenticeship with a sculptor and luthier in Ontario, Canada where she learned to design and built the gourd instruments of cultures around the world. In 2013 Dr. Jennings married her best friend Donald Jennings and moved to their organic herb farm and wildlife preserve in Nasons, VA which they lovingly call the Farmashramonastery. There, she practices medicine and counselling, hosts contemplative retreats, hikes, and meditation, and raises angora rabbits.
In the larger community, she conducts conflict transformation workshops including one for artistic ambassadors through the US State Department in Washington, DC. She has developed accredited curricula of meditation for racial justice, and for cultural sensitivity in artistic performance. In 2019, she was appointed to the Virginia Commission for the Arts where she serves as the chairperson.
Since 1996, Dr. Jennings has been the Executive Director and founder of Imani Works, a human rights advocacy group that enjoys consultative status with the United Nations Department of Social and Economic Affairs. Through Imani Works, she provides evaluations for asylum seekers. You can reach her for bookings, consultations, and counselling by visiting ImaniWorks.net online.
