How can I recognize God’s love and give thanks?
One of my favorite stories about recognizing Jesus is the “road to Emmaus.” Jesus opens the scriptures and tells the disciples all about the resurrected Christ. They are so excited about re-telling their experiences as they rush back to Jerusalem to tell their story.
Today, Jesus is all around us. He is present in everyone we encounter. It is up to us to recognize Him. Usually, it is easy to find Jesus in people we like or find attractive to us. We can easily see Jesus in the kind, likable people who touch our lives. It is far more difficult to see Jesus in the less attractive or unpleasant people who cross our paths. Some people seem to forget that Christ’s unconditional love included these people too.
Recognizing Jesus in the poor and needy is crucial, but we are also asked to see Him in our everyday lives; in a fellow student that no one likes; in the co-worker who never stops complaining; in the neighbor who plays his music way too loud.
It is our responsibility to really see Jesus in those we encounter and treat them with the same respect we would give Jesus if we met him in person. Remind ourselves that Christ loves them just as much as He loves us. Imagine what our world would be like if each of us would really do this?
-Deacon Tom Carter