HeyJaredDavid’s Substack
I observe, contemplate, and write about pastoral work in an ever-evolving, complex world. I also write other things that come to mind.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 30, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 11, 2026
Latest issues
Artificial Intelligence | Artificial Resurrection (opens the original)
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In a recent interview with Ross Douthat of The New York Times, Bryan Johnson shared his vision of leveraging advances in artificial intelligence to defeat (or, at the very least, delay) death. Declaring that we are on the cusp of making death optional due to the massive leaps in technological progress, Johnson views himself as the vanguard of a new way to be human—a way that does not end in death.This is a new age we live in. This possibility of not dying, save for the ancient stories of immorta
Why I Read Wendell Berry (1934-2026) (opens the original)
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Last Sunday, I finished reading Nathan Coulter. It is my sixth Wendell Berry book I’ve read in the past nine months—all of them within the Port William corpus. It was his first novel (1960).Upon completing the book, I thought to myself, “I need to write down why Berry’s work is necessary for me to regularly read.” That was Sunday, August 30th. I intended to begin writing on Monday morning, the 31st. But last week was unfortunately overtaken by some unexpected, as well as expected, church ministr
An Apathetic Age: Part Two (opens the original)
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Hello readers. In my previous post, I wrote about the intriguing time that we find ourselves in as a society. Hyper-individualism has opened the door for anyone to be the center of the universe and hero of their life-story. With this is the individualized construction of meaning and the assumed ethic of consumerism and authenticity. This is the cultural air we breathe. But many find hyper-individualism overpromising and underdelivering. Again, as I wrote previously, the promise of modernity—the
An Apathetic Age (opens the original)
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The word “apocalypse” was grievously hijacked and, therefore, became greatly misunderstood due to the Evangelical eschatological imagination—thanks, Left Behind and Hal Lindsey. The word “apocalypse” does not mean the end of the world. It means to unveil what is behind the veil of perception—to reveal what is unseen.I have an increasing conviction that an aspect of pastoring involves paying attention.1 It requires observing, being awake to, and
Lessons from a Montana Hike (opens the original)
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My writing rhythm is out of sorts. And transparently, it might be because I don’t want to write. Writing inspiration is absent. The demands of pastoral life have increased. Reading and exercise are still pillar habits. But I’ve lost the drive for writing.But here I sit at my desk. My timer is set. The chores are done. Writing this is a commitment to the habit, and the act of resistance to my inner desire to numb out in time-wasting nonsense. The voice is enticing: “It’s been a long week. This is
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