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Lucy's avatar

A beautiful read. The complex duality of being human. Can we harness the humility of all of us being flawed and use it for small acts of kindness. And hope for a contagion effect?? Loved this in my inbox this morning, thank you ☺

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Karen Beymer's avatar

I appreciated your quote “complex quality of humanity”

We are just that. Thank you.

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Gabby Llewellyn's avatar

yes a beautiful way of putting this phenomena for sure

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Tyler Ruddy (He/Him)'s avatar

As a seminarian, this time of the year is never not busy for me. Currently, I’m working on my Maundy Thursday sermon about Judas and love and how the three simple words of “I love you” are so freeing and liberating and sink a hook of hope in me like nothing else quite can but also how scary it is at the same time. Naturally, it’s a bit of a doozy as far as a sermon goes and is one that I know full well will not sit right with some folks. Reading this as I’m staring blankly at my screen, at a loss for how to convey the feelings I felt just now and the stories you shared - it gives me pause and hope in a weird way. That the experience of showing mercy and asking for it as well at the same time is never not a holy experience.

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Gabby Llewellyn's avatar

good luck on the sermon! I admire people who can deliver those kinds of community addresses-- out from behind a computer screen!! (aka not me!)

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jemima reeve burns's avatar

How wonderful it is to be complex. Thank you for this Gabby!

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Gabby Llewellyn's avatar

wonderful and confusing!

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Vanessa Matenaer's avatar

This was a great read!

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Gabby Llewellyn's avatar

thank you for taking the time to comment <3

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Heather's avatar

Love this and love you! Your insights and compassion always move my heart. It’s amazing how multifaceted we all are and yet the same in so many ways too. Nuanced is one of my favorite words lately because truly it describes so perfectly the complex thing it is to human in this ever changing landscape of thoughts and actions.

Thank you for sharing these moments. ❤️

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Gabby Llewellyn's avatar

thanks heather <3

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Morgan's avatar

This reminds me of one of my favorite Mary Oliver Poems, Wild Geese. She makes me ponder the same things Gabby.

"You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting–

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things."

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Taylor from A. Taylor Studio's avatar

Truly so poignant because I feel the same. The other day I was driving home, and a car in front of me was stopped at a green light clearly texting. I honked. Turns out it was my co worker! A really sweet coworker. I felt so bad! Asshole move on my part.

Your post says so much about our country right now as a whole. Why is it that we can share pleasantries and general acts of kindness, but we can’t connect on a more meaningful level of values? It’s perplexing

.

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Hannah's avatar

Love this and needed this read!

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Cassandra's avatar

Absolutely beautiful & thought provoking ❤️

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