I have packing that I must do, and laundry and various other things that I have already forgotten. The empty suitcase waits upon the bed.
A couple nights ago, I was reading in John -what a surprise- and it struck me, all of a sudden, that the first words John recorded Jesus as saying are: What do you seek?
He said that to two of John the Baptist's disciples who had started following Him.
Jesus turns and asks them that, in His voice, a voice full of compassion and quiet authority- what do you seek?
It turns out the disciples wanted to know where He was staying.
They could have asked Him about knowledge or confirmation -show us a sign, people are always asking Jesus, to His sorrow- but these guys did not ask anything like that. They just wanted to know where He lived.
That really struck me. If you know where God is, then you can stay with Him. You know where to go to find Him. If you want to know where He lives, it's probably because you want to be there as well.
Once you know where God lives, then you have the rest of your life to ask Him questions and to get to know Him.
Did Jesus give them detailed directions to where He was staying? No. He said: Come and see.
How like Jesus! How rarely He ever gives us a detailed map- we walk by faith. Instead, He said, follow Me. He says, come along with Me and I will show you.
It made me think of this:
"Tell me, O you whom I love,
Where you feed your flock,
Where you make it rest at noon.
For why should I be as one who veils herself
By the flocks of your companions?"
"If you do not know, O fairest among women,
Follow in the footsteps of the flock,
And feed your little goats
Beside the shepherds' tents."
Song of Solomon 1:7-8
Another words, come and see. Because, as it turns out, it's not about where He is staying. He stays with us, after all.
Instead, it's about where He is taking us. We get to know Him along the way.
