Where in the top ten of human questions do you put Jesus’ question in this weekend’s Gospel reading: “What are you looking for?” On one level, it is a basic question, one we ask family and friends when we see them searching for something, like where they left their keys or coffee cup. At the deepest level, it is a question that surfaces when we sit with the same family member or friend in moments of significant transitions. It may be a time of deep struggle or expanding possibility. We ponder all the questions associated with this one question: what are you looking, seeking, desiring, expecting, wondering, and hoping for?
At its root, the question, “What are you looking for?” is grounded in what we seek. What shapes your life, faith, hope, compassion, love, and purpose in this short sojourn called life? In the Gospel, Jesus asks the disciples what they are looking for, what they really seek. The disciples opt for the obvious answer, “Where are you staying?” It will take the entire Gospel, and then their entire lives, to tend to what Jesus was really asking, what are you here for, as in, what is your reason for living?
In these complex times, it is one of the top ten questions that returns for us to ponder together. What you are looking for or seeking is a theme that weaves in and out of the Bible, just as it is a theme that weaves in and out of your life.
So, as you read this and settle in for worship, what are you looking, seeking, desiring, expecting, wondering, and hoping for? Jesus is asking, and he is ready for the conversation.
Yours in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Peter