Intersection Column | Misty Water-Colored Memories

by Jerry B. Jenkins

When my wife’s and my eldest child, Dallas, was born, I invested a moment gazing into a mirror in the labor room, vowing to remember every detail. His birthdays over the years always transport me to that instant.

Dianna and I traveled to Texas last July to celebrate Dallas’s 49th with him and his family, spending the day on the set of his international TV series phenomenon, The Chosen. Late in the evening, as a long day of shooting neared its end, Dallas invited me to join him as he directed a particularly poignant scene for Season 5.

As it had fallen to me to write a novel based on each season, naturally I jumped at this privilege. All day, cast and crew enjoyed teasing me that Dallas had once been known as “Jerry Jenkins’s son,” and now I was known as “Dallas Jenkins’s father.” As you can imagine, nothing could have made me prouder. I’d always thought everything Dallas produced or directed was brilliant. This time I was right, and the world seemed to agree.

I’d been on enough sets to understand the etiquette and the protocol. I was to stand behind him, to remain silent, and enjoy. Little did I know how difficult that would prove to be. The scene was rendered on a massive sound stage that had been converted into the Garden of Gethsemane, complete with hauled in dirt floors and imported olive trees.

I stood, mouth agape, taking in the torchlit venue and touched by the reverent silence of the cast and crew as they prepared to memorialize Jesus’ tormented evening of prayer in the garden. Just when I was reminded that this was Dallas’s birthday, and I allowed myself that mental journey back in time to the labor room, what played out overwhelmed me.

Of all things, this was the imagined scene of Jesus’ earthly father Joseph briefly appearing to comfort his son, telling him, “I will be waiting for You.”

Overcome, I had to press my hand over my mouth to keep from whimpering aloud. And when Dallas finally called, “Cut!”, all I could do was embrace him.

He said, “I should have remembered you were a blubberer. Thanks for keeping it together.”

Well, the poet Robert Frost has been credited with the line, “No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader.” Believe me, when I later reached that scene writing this novel, I didn’t have to hold back the tears. In a story that begins with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and ends with the betrayal kiss of the ages, you know which passage meant the most to me.

There’s much to identify with in this portion of the Holy Week chronicle, not the least of which are the very human disciples’ attempts to remain awake. But I’ll never forget the envisioned account of Joseph and Jesus, father and son, cherishing their bond in the dark of night.

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About the Author

Jerry Jenkins, author of The Left Behind Series, has written more than 210 books, including 21 New York Times bestsellers with sales of more than 73 million copies. He teaches writing online at www.jerryjenkins.com.

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About the Book

Jerry Jenkins invites you into the tumultuous final days of Jesus’ earthly ministry—what’s become known as Holy Week. In vivid detail and with emotional depth, this novel captures the heartbreak, hope, and humanity of the most pivotal week in the history of the world.

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Did You Know?

A Barna report says that 2,005 Americans were asked to identify what they’re most hoping to find in their spiritual beliefs. Thirty-seven percent said, “Inner peace.”

Peace seems elusive in a world that’s growing more chaotic by the day. The storm of global uncertainty rocks our boat, and the winds of stress related to work, finances, health, and relationships batter us.

So, how can we find the inner peace our soul craves? By growing in our understanding of who God is as manifest through His biblical names. Here are three examples:

• El Roi – “the God who sees me”

  We are not invisible to God. He is near to you and me, and He fully understands or “gets” our thoughts and feelings. When anxiety kicks in, meditating on the truth that God sees and understands us helps calm our anxious thoughts.

• El Shaddai – “God Almighty”

  God is all-sufficient. That is, He is adequate to meet all our needs. His power and wisdom are infinite, therefore, nothing is impossible for Him. No problem we face is insurmountable.

• Yahweh Ori – “the LORD is my light”

  We may sometimes feel as though darkness surrounds us, but God’s presence and promises shed light on our circumstances. Darkness and light are alike to Him, so let’s give Him our cares and rest assured that He’s got this.

Understanding God’s names is key to experiencing inner peace. Anxiety loses its grip when we live from the truth of who He is. 

-Grace Fox, Names of God: Knowing Peace