“Let’s Do It, Pa!”

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“Let’s Do It, Pa!” *

My Personal Blog

Thanks for stopping by my personal blog page where you will find all of the blog segments that have been published.

Please note: they are in chronological order, with the latest one first and the first one (1.0) at the bottom or on a previous page. The numbers refer to the chapter of the source document from which my ideas arose.

John 20:17 meaning, My Father and your Father, spiritual doubt and grief, Gospel of John reflection, The John Project Alan John 20:17 meaning, My Father and your Father, spiritual doubt and grief, Gospel of John reflection, The John Project Alan

20.4 - Come Stand Where I’m Standing

After Millie died, the easy answers about God no longer worked. Four years into my journey through John’s Gospel, I returned to two verses at the end of chapter 20 and imagined John inviting me to stand where he stood, look again, and see what Jesus wanted us to understand about the Father.

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* John 16 commentary, Clarity and Courage, * Spirit of Truth, Presence Alan * John 16 commentary, Clarity and Courage, * Spirit of Truth, Presence Alan

16.5 — Faith That Stays

Faith often begins where certainty ends.

In John 16:23–33, Jesus prepares his closest friends for a moment when answers will no longer arrive on demand. What he offers instead is not clarity, but presence — not certainty, but friendship.

This reflection explores how belief matures through experience rather than explanation, and how John’s use of phileō — the love of friendship — signals a dramatic shift in identity from disciples to trusted companions. Faith, Jesus suggests, is not something to grasp or defend, but something to remain with when understanding falls silent.

Written as part of the John Project, this piece invites readers — religious or not — to consider faith not as agreement, but as staying.

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