It’s presence that matters.
Rev. Doug Job’s love affair with falafel began at a deli when he was a teenager in small-town Tennessee. A frequent orderer of standard sandwiches from the deli, in his characteristic way, Doug befriended the Palestinian deli owner. One evening when he went to the deli, he smelled an incredible smell. It was falafel, the owner said. Made from chickpeas. Doug tasted it, and his love for the food was born.
All these years later, he’s finally perfected his recipe. And he decided to share it with a few friends at his farewell luncheon yesterday as he moves to his next post in Edwardsville, Illinois. We were there, and we can vouch: it was delicious. The secret? Doug says it’s using uncooked chickpeas.
A falafel gathering with good conversation and friends is just one of the ways Rev. Doug has cultivated intentionality in our community during his time in Cape as transitional minister of Abbey Road Christian Church. He also ate like a refugee for a week to raise awareness and funds for refugees and then invited the community to a meal of the foods he prepared himself. He is a champion of all things Shipyard, the volunteer who picks up trash from festival start to festival end and the fan who can be seen in the audience fully in-tune with the bands whose music he’s listened to for months in preparation. And he can be found supporting the events of the people he cares about: in attendance at Underberg house concerts, First Friday art galleries of friends and more.
In short, Rev. Doug is someone who shows up. He is someone who knows: it’s presence that matters.
Doug said it to us a few months ago when we talked with him about refugees and falafel (for the first time), and we’re still thinking about it: “Affluence is when we have so much abundance that we lose sight of the distinction between want and need. But what affluence should tell us is, ‘Hey, things are out of balance, and we need to help right that balance.’”
Thanks, Rev. Doug, for all of the ways you work to help right that balance wherever you are. Thanks for all of the ways you’ve lived out your beliefs in our community through both your words and actions. And thanks for the way you live intentionally and call others to do the same by your example. We’re going to miss you. But we’re wishing you all of the best in Edwardsville.
All of the best, and a whole lot of falafel.
