An Altar in the World

“Jesus walked a lot, and not only during the last week of his life. The four gospels are peppered with accounts of him walking into the countryside, walking by the sea of Galilee, walking in the temple, and even walking on the water. If Jesus had driven a car instead, it is difficult to imagine how that might have changed his impact. Surely someone could have loaned him a fast horse. Instead, he walked everywhere he went, except for short stints on a donkey at the end. This gave him time to see things, like the milky eyes of the beggar sitting by the side of the road, or the round black eyes of the sparrows sitting in their cages at the market.
If he had been moving more quickly – even to reach more people – these things might have become a blur to him. Because he was moving slowly, they came into focus for him, just as he came into focus for them.”

Barbara Brown Taylor, An Altar in the World

As I ponder the work and life of Jesus, he was in no hurry. He moved slowly and deliberately in his work and in his relationships. He certainly wasn’t uncaring or apathetic. No one had the passion he possessed. And – it isn’t because he didn’t know what is meaningful to people. He certainly knows – he helped create the species.

When we look at his life, he was focused. For three years, he built into the lives of a handful of people, some chosen men and women, who expressed a desire to live in close community with him and learn from him. I think he sensed the desire in them and discerned that this was the group that he would pour his life into. Somehow he knew that if he took the time to teach, love, and commune with these individuals, they would in turn do that with others.

I wouldn’t say that numbers were unimportant to him – it was his desire that none perish – but it seems he knew that the way to do the work was one by one, slowly, intentionally, creating space for the Spirit to work, creating depth.
Are you walking or running through life? Do you notice those around you or do you need to get on to more important things? Have you allowed the work to be more important than the people? Have you put ‘results’ above relationships? Do you understand and honor the slow work of God, of transformation?

God has called me into a ministry of being intentional with the people He brings into my path. I can lose sight of this, looking for the ‘next thing’ or feeling I am not meeting the expectations of others.

Lord – help keep me – keep us – walking slowly so we don’t miss what You have for us to see. May we walk slowly like You.

Grace and peace,
Deb