Daily Affirmations - Day 1- Where the People Are: Come and See

This week's Theme: Where the People Are

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Day 1: Come and See

Before I moved to my current home, my central location in the city made it easy for me to walk to almost everywhere I needed to go. I walked 20 minutes each way to work every day, weather permitting, and I walked to the shops, parks and grocery stores in my neighborhood.

I was used to walking, having grown up in the Caribbean at the time I did. In those days, walking was the common— the understood, the default for manageable distances (and even some that should have been understood to be unmanageable!).

In my early years, my sister and I would not only walk to school at the beginning and end of the day (about 15 minutes each way), but we would also make the trek home and back at mid-day for lunch. My sister often laughs as she recounts that we would pass many of our schoolmates returning to school from lunch even as we were still making our way home to lunch! (I can't quite figure out the ratio of dawdling on our part, to the combination of speed and bolted lunches on theirs, but I do digress).

Later in my young adult life, I walked to and from work each day in "town"— my return each day culminating with a climb up a long, steep hill. So yes, I was a life-long walker.

Once I moved to my current home, though, walking became more difficult. My neighborhood was not set up to allow safe or convenient walking to stores and local venues, and walking to work was out of the question. Through the years, I did stretches of walking in our neighborhood park, but making a special trip for walking is different from "seamless" walking as part of everyday life.

Over the last few years, though, I have rediscovered the joy of walking as I combined a need for physical therapy with a new exploration of my neighborhood— along paths where errands and grocery shopping would not usually take me. It has been an eye-opening experience!

It is amazing the level of familiarity you gain from walking through a neighborhood and noticing all the details of everyday life— the signs and symbols, the passions and pastimes, the quirks and idiosyncrasies, the milestones and markers, the celebrations and ceremonies, even the struggles and setbacks. Almost like a startling peek through the windows of carefully curtained existence. And suddenly a greater awareness of people, and lives, and needs. And prayer.

I am struck by the parallels in my approach to living. How often have I zipped up and down life's lanes and avenues so intent on my tasks, assignments, chores, and errands that I miss truly seeing people, and lives, and needs. How often have I chosen the "busy route" and missed opportunities to pray, to encourage, to minister.

Life can be demanding; yet our first priority, according to Jesus' teaching and example, is to serve. I am always fascinated by the Scripture account describing the introduction of the first disciples to Jesus:

The next day John [the Baptist] was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?” They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come,” He replied, “and you will see” (John 1:35-39).

The real answer to that question they would later discover, was, "Where the People Are," for they would eventually see that the Son of God, Immanuel, had indeed come to dwell with humans (Matthew 1:23), and that Jesus stayed wherever the people were. Even when they intruded on His solitude, He welcomed the crowds:

Then [Jesus] took [the disciples] with Him and they withdrew by themselves to a town called Bethsaida, but the crowds learned about it and followed Him. He welcomed them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed healing (Luke 9:10-11).

Of course, like Jesus, we must take time for solitude and rest; we cannot be available to all at all times. But like Jesus, I want my priority to be where the people are— their lives, their needs. And so, with His help, I will try to slow down, and walk, and look for openings into curtained souls. And pray. And follow when He tells me, "Come and See."