What is your full name?
Jonathan Wray Terry
What is your job title with Au Sable?
Executive Director
How did you get involved with Au Sable?
I studied at Au Sable when I was in my second year at Calvin College. During my time as an Au Sable student I learned that, for some reason, I could hear God’s voice better when I was out in His created world. There is something special about the created world that allows me to be aware of the presence of God.
What excites you most about Au Sable?
At the end of last summer, a student left a note on my desk that says, “My time at Au Sable was an incredible and life-changing experience.” That excites me. We are a community that welcomes, encourages, and applauds young people who love God and love the things that God loves. I am passionate about young people coming alive with what God made them to be.
What is one practice that helps you to take care of the earth?
The practice of paying attention helps me to take care of the earth. As Mary Oliver says, “I don't know exactly what a prayer is, but I do know how to pay attention.” When I put down my phone and pay attention to the world around me, I quickly remember that I am a beneficiary of God’s extravagant gifts. I can’t do it all. I rely on God for my life and breath. This impacts how I view the other living and non-living things around me and reminds me that I am not the center of the universe.
What do you do for fun/in your free time?
My wife and I are in a downhill ski league and race once a week. I have absolutely no skill, but have a lot of fun.
Have you read any good books lately? If so, what books?
I’m better at buying books than I am at reading them. I’m currently reading Remarkably Bright Creatures, which is novel about an octopus. The best book I’ve read in the past year is Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. It is a true story of an Iranian boy who immigrates to Oklahoma. A line in the book reads, “What you believe about the future will change how you live in the present.“ I might put that on my gravestone.
What is your favorite natural space?
I love being submerged in large bodies of cold water. Swimming in the summer waves of Lake Michigan as the sun sets is probably the closest to pure joy I will experience in this life.