Getting to Know _____

Against my better judgment, I reread the first book of The Hunger Games series this weekend. However, who wants to hear more about that after all the hype that's been plastered all over billboards, websites, social media, and the news? I surely don't. It is what it is - although, it reminded me why I constantly caution both parents and students about the series (or the movie for that matter) being age-appropriate for a fourth grader. But I digress...

Let me shift focus to another book that's been on my mind a lot lately - Living Your Strengths. This Sunday was our third meeting (with just one more to go next weekend), and it provided yet additional insight and open conversation.

We reflected on a number of question, but one sticks out in my mind - "How can you learn enough about Christ to know how to live his life as our own?"

One person suggested that we look for trends in the Bible - Jesus was always searching out a specific person, from Zacchaeus to the woman who touched his cloak to Lazarus. And Jesus was always serving others.

Another person brought up that we never can really learn enough about Jesus - there's so much to know!

The question, for me, begged another question: "How do we really get to know anyone well?" We spend time with him/her of course. How else do we know what he/she is up to or what he/she is feeling at a deeper level than just what Facebook or Twitter tells us? (Check out This Ignatian Life blog today - it somewhat hits on the same topic - it's called "Intentional Friendship." It's totally worth the read.)

And so the same must be true of how we come to know Jesus - we must spend more time with him in prayer and in conversation about him with others.

 

So simple. So true. Yet, at times, so difficult.

But, as we came to realize as we continued our discussion, in spending more time in prayer, our outlook on the world changes - it changes for the better, allowing us to see Jesus in all things and in all others.