Toward the end of the first chapter of John, there is a scene on the banks of the Jordan River that my imagination easily enters. Come with me.

John the Baptist and two of his followers are looking over the crowd when Jesus walks by. John points to Jesus, and says words along the lines of, “That’s the one,” and without so much as a goodbye, they leave John to follow Jesus.

When Jesus notices the newbies he asks, “What are you looking for?”

Apparently they take that to mean more than a casual, “Can I help you?” because their answer was not only them inviting themselves to dinner, it’s letting him know they have just enrolled in the University of Jesus, “Teacher, where are you staying?”

I find it easy to picture Jesus looking into their faces, smiling and saying, “Come and see.”

What are you looking for?
Where are you staying?
Come and see.
Three phrases worthy of ponder.

What are you looking for? Christ asked them long ago, asks us today, perhaps in this moment.
I want to have a good answer. It deserves to come from my heart, to be true, to be my best answer.

I think I’ll go with the other two guys. Lord, I want to be where you are. Can I join the team? Where do you stay? Where can I find you when I need you? Teach me.

Here’s where I kind of envy the folks in the Gospels. They went to the house where Jesus was staying. They sat at the table with him. They took long walks with him. They saw his physical body, heard his voice, smelled his robe, and felt his embrace.

Our “where are you staying?” gets the same answer, “Come and see,” but it’s different.

Maybe the answer is actually, “Pay attention, and you will see.”

Pay attention to teachers, like John, who point to Christ and not themselves. Pay attention the heavens that declare God’s glory. Pay attention to creation that groans for a converted world. Pay attention to the cries of the needy. Pay attention to the deep and true desires of your heart. Pay attention to the movement of the Spirit in sacred words. Pay attention to the miracles all around. Pay attention and ponder the vast universe. Pay attention and see the wonder in the tiniest cell.

Sounds like a lot, but we don’t do it all at once. We just do it in only place and time we can do it, the here and now.

Come and see.