Living Witness, Living Love
John 4:43-54
When the two days were over, he went from that place to Galilee (for Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country). When he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival; for they too had gone to the festival.
Then he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my little boy dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”
The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he himself believed, along with his whole household. Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
If you’ve had the chance to experience live theater, whether an elementary school performance of Hot Cross Buns on recorders or a grand opera on the largest stage, it’s quite an experience. I’ve had the chance to see many different performances at coffee houses, theaters, churches, and livestream. They are all once in a lifetime experiences.
One December many years ago, my family attended a performance of Handel’s Messiah at our church. The four of us sat three rows from the front, ready to experience this musical work. About halfway through the performance, during one of the choruses, my hard-of-hearing father leaned across the row and said, “this would go faster if they’d stop repeating themselves.” He made this performance unforgettable, not with a whisper but with what felt like a shout.
We were completely caught off guard. We ducked below our seats, vibrating with laughter until we could contain ourselves and return to enjoying the performance. That memory is what makes live performances so memorable. I will never forget that moment that made us laugh so hard, nor will I forget the other moments experienced during live performances. Everything from clinking coffee cups to suppressed giggles, that is what makes live performances so memorable.
Living will never happen the same way twice. Even rewatching a movie creates its own kind of live theater, reclined in our comfiest chairs with our favorite drink, pausing the recording when the dog needs to go out. We aren’t meant to simply observe life, rather we are meant to live it. Our truest lives are lived in the footsteps of Christ.
Jesus came to upend the world. He performed signs of his divine power and authority by changing water into wine and healing the son of an official so that the official might believe. We are more than faithful spectators. We live faith as we witness signs and do what we can to heal the world. Just like attending a performance, we become part of the performance itself by opening our eyes, ears, and hearts.
We have a chance to not only witness signs of Christ in the world, but to live those signs and respond. In a time when we seem to witness less grace, mercy, kindness, patience and love in the world, we are offered our chance to respond. We can respond with empathy, truly seeking the best for those around us by being in relationship with them. We can respond by seeking God’s justice in the world, not accepting the status quo of how we treat our neighbors, but changing our own view to seek Christ in all around us.
We have come into this life to live, and we can choose to live actively as participants in the love and witness of Jesus Christ. We can participate in simple ways by giving back, donating to a cause close to our hearts, or volunteering to help make the world a more beautiful space. We also have a chance to offer kindness, love, and patience. This is the love that Christ offers, and this is the love we are to live.
prayer
O Lord our God, in your holy Sacraments you have given us a foretaste of the good things of your kingdom: Direct us, we pray, in the way that leads to eternal life, that we may come to appear before you in that place of light where you dwell for ever with your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daily Lenten meditations each have a companion morning prayer video offered by the same clergy. View the YouTube playlist to find this meditation’s companion video, or to watch others.