Where have you been?

I was talking to a student the other day and I asked her, “What is the number one question you would ask Jesus if he were holding an AMA (ask me anything interview) today?” She answered surprisingly quickly with “Where have you been?”

It’s a good question and it’s honest. How often in our lives do we feel a bit left out in the cold by Jesus? We’ve entered into the season after Pentecost, where Jesus has gone, but is present in the Spirit and it’s easy to feel left alone in the midst of this world. I would propose that the answer to the question of where Jesus has been, is that he has been here the whole time.

Jesus is here, and we meet him all the time, but here are three ways that I like. First, we meet Jesus in the Word. Reading scripture is a great place meet Jesus. He’s the main focus of the Gospels and he is present wherever love and faithfulness are found in the pages of your Bible. I like to read from the Bible every day and there are many resources for how to read it in easy to digest pieces.

Second, we meet Jesus in prayer. Coming to God and opening our lives, letting our song join with the eternal song, allows us to meet Jesus. Prayer is open and fluid, even if you use a liturgy with set rules. God made us to fluid and dynamic, ever growing and changing, and thus our needs in prayer grow and change, but prayer is not about changing God. Rather, prayer is about changing us ever more into the likeness of Jesus, the full revelation of God’s love expressed in a human life.

Lastly, we meet Jesus in the community gathered. It is something of a cliche that we meet Jesus in our neighbor. It’s a good cliche because it’s true, but that’s not what I mean here. I mean that we meet Jesus when we as Christians and Seekers come together and be with one another. This has been called the “Body of Christ”, and it’s also true. When we come together as a community collected by the Spirit of the living God, we become Christ present to the world.

So if Jesus were having and AMA today, he would say he’s always been here and that he’s coming back. But in the mean time, he would ask us to meet him in scripture, in prayer, and in the community. Will you join us as we meet him?