Like Streams to the Ocean Review

Like Streams to the Ocean written by Jedidiah Jenkins  is philosophical, authentic, real, vulnerable, and interesting. It is written with wisdom and clarity that only comes with life experience. Like Streams to the Ocean is a book of notes on Ego, Love, and The Things That Make Us Who We Are. It’s divided into seven sections: Ego, Family, Home, Friendship, Love, Work, Death, and The Soul. We get to know Jedidiah and the depth in which he lives his life.

 

If you don’t follow Jed on instagram, you should. He is an artist. You can tell he exudes extrovert. He thrives in group settings and being the center of attention. He is talented in photography, drawing, and writing. He has friends. Lots of them. Some are famous actors while others are social media influencers who stem from a similar community of thought while questioning  the human existence. What’s my calling? What’s my purpose? How did I get here at this age? Why haven’t I started my career yet, gotten married, and had kids? Why am I venturing and looking for love, but just haven’t seemed to find it yet? All these questions are questions that Jed poses in Like Streams to the Ocean. Even the title is a metaphor to life. All things lead to a deeper meaning, existence, life on purpose. There are no mistakes. 

 

There is no conflict in this read. It’s a book of essays derived of personal experience. Hurt. Love. Lust. Sex. Faith. Loss of Faith. Question of faith. Sexuality. Travel. Nature. I laughed. I cried. I nodded my head in agreement with Jedidiah and the wisdom he shares for those coming before him, with him, and after him—paving a path to the least resistance so to speak. Jedidiah is his own hero and his own villain. We are all in this life together.

 

In his first book, To Shake the Sleeping Self, Jed and his buddy, rode bicycles from Oregon to Patagonia. The book was a debut  of living an unconventional life following in his  parents footsteps. His father, Peter Jenkins, wrote A Walk Across America. I feel in some way that I have a small connection to Jed through Peter. Peter graduated from Alfred University (the same University I earned my Bachelor’s) in the ‘70s with a degree in art. He had a deep desire to discover America during political distain of the Vietnam War. He took off with his dog, Cooper, and together they walked across America in search of meaning. What they found was kindness and resilience in the deep south of the USA. 

 

I discovered Jed through Peter’s social media postings. I immediately began following Jed on Instagram and each day I eagerly anticipated for a new post letting his following know where he was at on his trip. I didn’t know until reading his book that the purpose of his bike trip was to come to terms with his own sexuality. Jed grew up in a Christian home and started to reject religion and accept himself as a Christian gay man. Unsure if his family would accept him or not, he prepared himself to leave his family to pursue his lifestyle.

 

I pretty much agree with everything that Jed had to say except for the topic of faith. I get it. He was brought up in Christian home where popular belief is that Christ is for us and not against us and that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Christianity is not merely faith. It is a lifestyle. Jed tried it then rejected it due to being physically attracted to men. Christianity rejects homosexuality. I can understand his quest for something other than Jesus because I, too, drifted and dabbled in the secular world of thought—progressive ideologies. But, I think Jed, like so many Christians hurt by the church, miss two key points: The first, Jesus loves everyone even in the midst of their mess and His grace is enough because forgiveness is an offering from the goodness of Christ. Second, hate the sin, but love the sinner. I think his mother demonstrated Jesus’ unconditional love for her son by acknowledging Jed’s lifestyle and loving him regardless. She’s tolerant and understanding, but not waving the rainbow flag on her front porch because she knows Jed is her son, chosen by God, gifted by God to love unconditionally regardless if the choices he makes are in agreement with her’s or not. Ya’ll this is what America is missing—grace, tolerance, and pure acts of kindness through empathy.  

 

To give you a small glimpse of Jed’s mastermind of wisdom and brilliance: “Some of those wanderers in the desert are not outcasts. They are pioneers. They became the way out—first for themselves, and then for others. This goes for all manners of living. Of the job you want. Or the community you need. Of the project you fear to start. We are waiting for permission, for examples. But what if you are the example?” 

 

Go. Be. Pioneers of grace, tolerance, and kindness. We are human. So, be human. But do it with dignity and the goodness that is given to us freely with love without condition