I have been mulling over something written about Jesus and wondering about the possible wider implications, of what it says about God in my everyday life…
I was reading the gospel of John the other day and came across the story of how John the Baptist first recognized that Jesus was the Christ. John says that he wouldn’t have recognized who Jesus really was unless it was divinely revealed.* I’ve read that a hundred times before, but this time it really struck me. If anyone could have recognized who Jesus was I would have thought it would have been John. There was no one who matched John in all of history! He trumped Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Moses, Abraham… the guy had some serious spirituality!! (at least I think that’s what it means when Jesus said that there was no one greater than John.*)
It has got me thinking that if John couldn’t recognize Jesus outside of the Holy Spirit telling him, then how do I expect to recognize Jesus without the Holy Spirit? Which then gets me wondering where God is hiding that I just haven’t seen him in yet. Is God hiding in my day dreams, in my kids playing, in my laundry? I’ve been asking the Holy Spirit to show me God in places that I haven’t seen him yet. I like the idea of finding the Creator’s thumbprint on a dirty coffee mug in my sink… gives me some better motivation to do the dishes.
-Erin
* John chapter 1
* Matthew 11:something