GOD FINDS US
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray?” - Mt. 18:12-14
The question is not “How am I to find God?” but “How am I to let myself be found by him?” The question is not “How am I to know God?” but “How am I to let myself be known by God?” And, finally, the question is not “How am I to love God?” but “How am I to let myself be loved by God?” God is looking into the distance for me, trying to find me, and longing to bring me home. God is the shepherd who goes looking for his lost sheep.
It might sound strange, but God wants to find me as much as, if not more than, I want to find God. God is not the patriarch who stays home; does not move; and expects his children to come to him, apologize for their aberrant behavior, beg for forgiveness, and promise to do better. To the contrary, he leaves the house, ignoring his dignity by running toward them, pays no heed to apologies and promises of change, and brings them to the table richly prepared for them.
I am beginning now to see how radically the character of spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it as difficult as possible for me to find him, but instead as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.
Can I accept that I am worth looking for, that God does everything to find me? How does that affect the way I live?
Adapted from Henri Nouwen
Photo credit: Jorge Cocco