What is the Jesus that fascinates you the most? Or maybe, what is the Jesus that fascinated you at the very beginning, when you first became aware of him? We all have different pictures of Jesus according to the many narratives that we have about his life. We may disagree about the accuracy of some of the literal images that have been made about Jesus, but maybe in our own imagination we have made our own picture of him, and imagine how was his face, his expression, in the different moments that we have registered in the Gospels.

I have spent many hours imagining. Imagining Jesus’ face when he faced the trial. His expression when he was speaking at the Mount. His reaction when the adulterous woman was thrown to the ground in front of him. His eyes when Mary broke the jar with the expensive perfume to anoint him. His tears when he faced the tomb of his friend, Lazarus. The expression in his eyes when he looked at Peter, after his disciple denied him three times. His smile while he was playing with children. There are so many moments, so many special occasions in which the narrative is not enough to tell us those details, and maybe because of it we are left to imagine the rest. This exercise, of imagining something that is beyond scripture, is what the Rabbis would call Midrash, a form of interpretation that also looks at what is left unsaid by each line- space for imagination. Then is up to the community to discuss if the part that was imagined follows the same heart and essence of the written text.

When I read the text of Matthew 3, I believe that there is a huge part that was left by the text- something that was left for us to imagine, for us to journey with. The text in Matthew 3.13 says that “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.” Can you picture it? And if you can, how does the image start? Can you see a young man, around 30 years-old, making his way through the crowd to get to John? Can you see him stepping into the river, taking the steps on the water, and stepping in front of his cousin, a great sense of destiny in his eyes and a calm, sweet smile in his face? All of those would be great pictures, but I’d like to invite you to travel a little bit more into the past. Can you see Jesus arriving at the Jordan? What did he see from the distance? What was he expecting? What was he feeling? But could you walk back even more? The journey from Nazareth to the river was around 45 km, which would take 3-4 days depending on weather and conditions. You need to prepare for the trip. Was he taking anything with him? And what happened even before that?

This is the Jesus that fascinates me. Not the one of the miracles, or the sermons, or the one confronting the authorities or overturning the tables at the temple. It’s the Jesus at the carpentry shop, walking around it for one last time before taking the road. It’s the Jesus that the multitudes don’t know- the one that for the last few years has been another normal tradie, a young carpenter trying to make end meet, supporting his mother and his siblings, yet always knowing that this day would come. The day in which he would have to leave behind all sense of normality, of predictability, of orthodoxy… to step into the unknown, into the adventure, into the danger. Every step of the way we have choices to make, and each one of those choices determine how the future would look like. At this point Jesus could have followed another path. A safe one. A normal one. To find a girl, to get married, to have his own family. Yet, the destiny that God had for him was completely different, but it wouldn’t have happened without these first steps out of the carpentry shop and into the road. Every important journey in our lives starts with those first steps.

The first steps into a classroom. The first steps into a new job. The steps leaving the safety of your family home. The steps that take you to a bus, to a train, to a plane. The first kilometres driven in a road taking you to a new destination. The first date, the first dance, the first steps taken as a couple. The first steps of your baby. A world of possibilities waiting to happen at every corner. But sometimes we fail to see them, because we can only see the ones that are kept at bay by the boundaries of safety, the walls that we build to keep risk away.

And sometimes those opportunities find us, more than we find them. Think about David and his very famous encounter with Goliath. Young David didn’t go there looking for a fight! He was there obeying his dad in what would look like an ordinary task. He had siblings in the army and their dad wanted to make sure they were being taken cared of. The conflict lasted a long time and dad is sending extra food for his kids. Apparently, that wasn’t unusual, as we remember that Israel wasn’t a strong kingdom at this stage and the main component of the army was still the militia formed by ordinary citizens instead of a professional army, a militia that may have been supported by the people as well. But David, in fulfilling the duty assigned by his dad, encounters a challenge, and responds to it. An opportunity that was available to any person in the Israeli army, but that only David took. How many opportunities are waiting for us, disguised in the ordinary, in the day-by-day tasks? How much of life is waiting for us to open our eyes and our hearts for the many possibilities?

But life, more often than not, happens beyond the limits of our comfort zones.

What are the things keeping you from starting a new journey, a new adventure?

Please, don’t tell me age! Do I have to remind you of Moses, who found his true destiny when he was 80 years old? The walk down the mountain used to be easier for good old Mo! Or Abraham, who become a father at the age of 100, Sarah being 90? What an age to start changing nappies! What about Daniel, that was about 80 when he was thrown at the Lion’s Den- after more than 50 years of serving in Babylon, to run that kind of risk at an old age? And most of his dreams and revelations came afterwards! John Wesley was active in ministry until the age of 86!

Here is something that I learnt this week. We just received the initial findings of a research done around the issues of spirituality in Australia, and with specific focus on Christianity and the person of Jesus. Very interesting material that I will digest slowly over the coming months. But one question in particular called my attention. They asked if people would consider going to a church, almost like giving Christianity a shot. To the people that said yes, which by the way is more than you would expect, they asked what would help them attend a church. here is where it becomes very interesting! The answer that got more positive responses? An invitation from someone I know. Forget about lights and sound, forget about fancy brochures and designer clothes… people are saying that they would attend church if they are invited by someone they know. Are you listening to the challenge that is present in this statement? People are looking for communities to belong to and for experiences that are meaningful- and I believe that the church can provide a strong yes to both of those urges. But it doesn’t start when the person crosses the boundaries of the building, as important as it is to be welcoming and open to new connections- it starts with a simple question, it starts with an invitation. It starts with the first steps out of our comfort zone and into the unknown of saying “hey, I’ve found something special, and I’d like to share it with you. Would you consider coming with me to…?” Maybe a service. Maybe a special service with great music and a lunch afterwards. Maybe it’s a Bible Study with interesting people and good coffee. Maybe it’s just an opportunity to experience something different

Sometimes those steps would take us closer to someone else’s life. A neighbour that we met but that represents a relationship that is nice, but shallow. Maybe those steps would take us to see again in a new way, maybe to meet again with someone we haven’t seen in a long time. To connect, to reconnect, to explore, or maybe to return. But here is the thing: I learnt something new during this pandemic as well, something that may be intensely personal, or maybe something that you may share with me: I don’t want to waste time. I don’t want to take the time in this planet for granted any more.

I thought there would always be time for that trip to see my family or my friends. I thought there would be many opportunities to reconnect with people I haven’t seen in many years. I thought there would be time, and I realize now how special the gift of time is. Some of those friends are gone now, and I won’t see them again in this life. Some of that very special time is gone, and it won’t return, it simply can’t be recovered. Some of those precious opportunities have passed. Suddenly, there is sense of urgency in saying some things, in making sure that people know how we feel about them, in expressing forgiveness, in opening hearts. But if we can be a bit more serious about our faith and our tradition here, we need to rediscover the urgency in sharing the love of God in meaningful and real ways. I’m not talking about running through the streets chasing people with a pamphlet- unless that’s your thing, in which case, more power to you! I’m talking about realizing that our Christian faith doesn’t declare that Jesus is a ticket to heaven, but that he is the source of eternal life. In other words, that this is not only about your eternal destiny, though we should be more urgent about it as well. It is about understanding that everyday that we live apart from Jesus is wasted, it’s a gift that won’t return, an opportunity that has passed. And that if we care for those people, we shouldn’t leave those precious opportunities passed us because of fear. Oh, I’m afraid of being seen as a Bible basher! I’m afraid of pushing people away. I understand that, but I’m even more afraid of being in a place where I can make a difference in someone else’s life and missing out because of fear, or any other excuses.

Christian life, at its core, is a declaration of love- love we received before even asking for it. Forgiveness that as offered before we even became aware of our need for it. Grace that was provided, mercy that was prepared for us when we were still living in error. That love calls to us to be shared, to be freely given as it was freely provided for us. It invites us to remember who we were and what we were given, and to look around to find the opportunities to pass this amazing love to other people in need of it.

Sometimes we are met by those divine encounters. Sometimes we need to take a few steps into their direction. Sometimes we are just going around doing our lives, and we are surprised. Sometimes we need to leave what we know behind, even if we start with small steps, to walk into the direction of what is unknown to us, but it has been in God’s heart for us forever.

Maybe David stopped near the creek in his way to the battlefield. The animals needed to drink, maybe he needed a break. Maybe the looked at those smooth rocks in the river and he thought “I can’t help but wondering what adventures is waiting for me in the future…”

Maybe Jesus stopped by the carpentry shop one more time before starting his journey. Maybe he stopped for a little longer looking at the long boards… the heavy hummers… the sharp nails… and he thought about his future. And I wonder if he, for a second, thought about us. And thinking about us, he closed the door behind him and took the first steps.

Maybe by thinking about him, we may receive the courage that we need to take our own steps.