Being moved to sit

Dr. Martha Van Zee

“Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the LORD. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” (Psalm 68:4-5)

As I reflect on the September 2025 Micah Global Consultation in Cape Town, South Africa, I am moved to sit. I entered into the community space to listen, lean in, and learn from those who embodied a life that rubbed shoulders with pain, hardship, and difficulties. I longed to be in the midst of other humans who cared deeply about voices that were often silenced, or the broken societal structures that needed repair. To hear what wasn’t being said as much as what my ears could decipher. I wanted to shift my perspective outside of the concentric circles that centered around me and begin to share in the colorful and chaotic life that Jesus often navigated in his experiences with those who suffered and were ignored.

Often when Jesus interacted with people, amongst his ministry of healing and teaching, he paused to be fully present with others, moved with compassion. These moments, though often interruptions or transitional in nature, weren’t rushed but were divine interventions that led to deeper understanding. His posture within an agenda to “save” the world was to fully connect with each person that God willed for him when he was in ministry. We see it in Mark 5 when he pauses to compassionately call the woman healed of bleeding through the power of the spirit that left his body, “daughter”. We see it when he weeps over the death of Lazarus, while in full knowledge of the resurrection about to take place through his spoken word. His insight and emotion are an outpouring of his heart and a model of how we too can attend to those we encounter who are hurting, broken, and distraught.

I distinctly saw an example of this as Jackie, a woman from Kenya who is currently ministering to the widows of her area, shared a story with me. She was visiting a mother recently widowed, who had not been out of bed for days as a cloud of depression hung over her. The family told Jackie when she came to visit that it was no use; they had tried everything. Jackie proceeded with the intent to just sit and be present, as Jesus often did when he was with the broken and hurting. As time passed, the woman began to speak and share as Jackie just listened. She did not provide answers but instead gave full attention and exhibited compassion in the midst of her darkness. As the night went on, the woman decided to get up and make something to eat for herself and Jackie. She made a complete change in countenance and even expressed how this was the first time that she felt like getting up. Jackie believed that it was the mere value of being “present” with this woman (as Jesus often did) that provided her the space to connect and begin to dig out of the pit.

I can relate to the hustle and bustle of life and that insatiable desire to be productive and efficient. What often can be seen as commendable leads to an unprepared heart that isn’t ready to respond to the divine invitations that can occur throughout the day. My attention is often divided. I juggle full-time work, ministry, being a wife and mother, with kids in sports and school. There is pressure to keep moving. But for what outcome? Jackie’s story had a profound impact on me in that there is power in being present with the people I share air with. We learn most from those who are the least like us. Are we engaged with these people in the conversations of life?

May I follow the way of our Savior and be moved to sit with those he puts in my path.

Dr. Martha Van Zee

Mathematics

Reflection Written as part of Stott Fellows 2025