The Wake-Up Call

Host: J.D. Walt (Seedbed)
Episode: The Surprising Foundation for the Spiritual Life
Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, J.D. Walt centers the daily Wake-Up Call around Proverbs 15:1: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Walt explores gentleness as the true foundation of spiritual life, arguing that it’s both a disposition and a fruit of the Holy Spirit, rather than simply a personality trait. He draws deeply from personal anecdotes, spiritual mentors, and practical wisdom, ultimately challenging listeners to practice gentleness with themselves and others as an outflow of the love of Jesus.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Surprising Foundation: Gentleness

[02:02–06:12]

• Walt reflects on a book gifted by Dr. Marilyn Elliott: Spirituality and the Gentle Life by Father Adrian von Kahm.

• He summarizes von Kahm’s view:

  • “Gentleness is the prerequisite condition for sustained spiritual growth and development.”
  • Quote from von Kahm:

    “Gentleness is an attitude of letting be combined with a patient abiding with myself or with the person, task or problem God calls me to be involved in. This attitude leads to peace and contentment. The gentle person is more free.” [03:20]

• Walt emphasizes that gentleness is a way of being “at home with oneself,” leading to a greater capacity to help others feel at home, too.

2. Gentleness vs. Harshness

[06:13–08:25]

• Contrasts gentleness with harshness:
  • “Are you a gentle person? If not, the chances are you are a harsh person. … Angry people carry harshness. How do I know? I used to be one. Gentle people carry peace.” [04:48]
• Notes that gentleness is not mere “softness” and isn’t about conflict avoidance:
  • It emerges in the way one engages with conflict, seeking to diffuse rather than escalate.

3. Gentleness in Spirit, Not Just in Personality

[08:26–09:55]

• Gentleness is “a fruit of the Holy Spirit”—not an excuse to be selective:
  • “We can't let ourselves off the hook by saying, well, that's just not my type... It flows out of our identity in Jesus.” [09:22]

4. Prayer for Gentleness

[09:56–10:30]

• A prayer:

  “Father, teach me your way of gentleness. Reveal your own gentle bearing toward me. Free me to become more gentle with myself, and so treat other people. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.” [10:20]

5. Journal Prompts & Self-Reflection

[10:31–12:45]

• Prompts offered for further reflection:

  • Who do you think of as gentle—being careful not to confuse it with passivity?
  • What would it look like to be more gentle with yourself?
  • How can you invite the Holy Spirit to cultivate gentleness daily?

• Walt reflects personally:

  • “For me, the place where I really try to work at this all the time is how I'm treating myself. Am I being gentle with myself or am I being harsh with myself?… we treat other people the same way we treat ourselves.” [11:30]

6. Gentleness as the Flow of God’s Love

[12:46–14:43]

• Connects loving self with loving neighbor and God:

  • “You have to know that God loves you before you actually can love yourself. And then when you know God loves you and when you can love yourself, that will flow right out to everybody you're with. Can't stop it.” [12:58]

• “Gentleness is… a watchword. It's one of those ways, if I can be aware and attentive, I can interrupt my own impatience, my own harshness...” [13:26]

• Anecdote about his son, David:

  • "He’ll call me out, he’ll say, 'Dad, you're getting in gamer mode.' Okay? Gamer mode is like frenetic pace. Go, go, go, go. ... That becomes antithetical to gentleness." [13:49]

  • Memorable exchange:

    “Dad, I don’t think of taking my time as wasting my time. That’s a gentle disposition right there. More of that for me, Lord.” [14:17]

7. Breaking Cycles of Harshness

[14:44–16:01]

• Walt observes, “A lot of us grew up at times with parents who were harsh… we're in the cycle breaking. Well, the Holy Spirit wants to break these cycles. And the Spirit wants to give us gentleness in a way that will enable us to release harshness.” [15:24]
• Emphasizes gentleness is how the presence of Jesus is cultivated among us—day by day, “bit by bit.”

8. Practicing Gentleness in Community: Apology & Correction

[16:02–17:24]

• Walt models gentleness by apologizing for a past, hasty remark critiquing Terabeth Cobble’s Bible recap work:

  “I want to take it back. I want to apologize to her and to so many people who read her and follow her. … A couple of people who I really respect wrote me with the gentlest spirit. And it was. It was what I would call a kind rebuke… And I appreciated it and so I've corrected myself and owned it. And let's move on now.” [16:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gentleness’ True Nature:

  “Gentleness does not mean softness. It is probably more clearly seen in the way one expresses firmness.” [04:42]

• Personal Testimony:

  “How do I know [angry people carry harshness]? I used to be one. Gentle people carry peace. Truth be told, we are all a mix of both.” [05:00]

• On the Interconnectedness of Love and Gentleness:

  “I'm convinced this is why the great command says, love your neighbor as you love yourself. It's like the symbiotic reality and this connection to loving God and being loved by God.” [12:49]

• A Gentle Correction from His Son:

  “Dad, I don’t think of taking my time as wasting my time. That’s a gentle disposition right there.” [14:17]

• Apology as Spiritual Practice:

  “A couple of people who I really respect wrote me… with the gentlest spirit… It was what I would call a kind rebuke… I appreciated it and so I've corrected myself and owned it.” [16:37]

Important Timestamps & Segments

• Opening Reflection & Context: [00:00–01:58]
• Introduction of Key Text (Proverbs 15:1): [02:11]
• Insights from Father von Kahm on Gentleness: [03:15]
• Journal Prompts and Self-Reflection: [09:56–12:45]
• Personal Story about Gamer Mode: [13:45–14:40]
• A Word on Family Heritage & Cycle Breaking: [15:20]
• Public Apology and Community Gentleness: [16:02–17:24]
• Singing 'Spirit of the Living God': [18:05–19:41]

Conclusion: Practicing Gentleness as a Spiritual Foundation

• Walt encourages listeners to practice gentleness with themselves and others, to reflect honestly, and to invite the Holy Spirit to bear the fruit of gentleness within their daily interactions.
• He models gentleness through both his teaching and by openly correcting past missteps.
• The episode closes with a sung prayer for the Spirit’s fresh work in shaping a gentle life.

Takeaway:
Gentleness is both the surprising and essential foundation for authentic spiritual formation. It is a trait cultivated through the Spirit, expressing itself most clearly in times of conflict—toward ourselves and others—and enables a life rooted in the transforming love of Jesus.