Foxes have Holes

"Pete, where the hell is Jesus?"

"I don't know John, He was with us a couple minutes ago."

No, He was with the Samaritan woman by the well, gently exposing her immorality and extending to her an invitation to follow Him and, in doing so, find everlasting, living water;

Or He's with the prostitute Mary Magdalene and the crowd of religious extremists surrounding her, holding heavy, jagged rocks, ready to stone her to death. When Jesus asks that the man without sin throw the first stone, all the men disperse, and Jesus tells Mary that He doesn't condemn her and all He asks is "that you sin no more;"

Maybe they should look at their friend Matty's house, where they were with Him at dinner one night, with all the tax collectors of the region and their very unsavory friends.

"Johnny, you don't think the Romans took Him?"

"Petey, the Romans will never get Him."

True enough, but He was accessible to Romans and one time He even healed a Centurion's daughter. He would talk to Pilate and be fearless when the toughest army in the world beat Him to a pulp and willingly be hung on one of their crosses.

"What if He's walking on the water again, or gathering a huge crowd of poor people who need food or raising someone from the dead or entertaining people from the Old Book who have been processed into our time or turning over Friday Market in Temple Square?"

"Pierre, you can be sure that He is somewhere, doing what He feels He's called to, completely different from what we think He should be doing. He may look different; may have cut His hair; He might be saying words I don't really understand; or revealing the meaning of Old Book truths that I've never really understood."

Aslan is a wild lion, C.S. Lewis said. And Jesus is as wild as the wind and elusive as a ghost and yet wants desperately to connect with the human race.

"Yo, John, Pete - hey, it's me, Nick, here - from the 21st Century. Let me tell you where we find Jesus in our world: with the hungry and sick; in Darfur and Rwanda; in Congo and the Palestinian State; in missions and orphanages; on soup lines and under bridges; in prayer and praise; in the New Book and the men who honestly teach it. He hangs with Bono, reads Sojourners Magazine, worships in a small, black church in the inner city, listens to Rich Mullins, howls at movies like ARMAGEDDON and THE DAY AFTER, walks through our cities, unnoticed, and preaches on its corners, unheard.

Mates, we know it's difficult to find Jesus in big Churches; on Christian TV and in Bible Book Stores. Won't find Him on both sides in armed conflicts; won't find Him on either side, actually; He's not networking on the Golf Course or running to be Mayor of Jerusalem or leading armed insurrections against Rome. He's not setting policy for lobbyists or doing strategic planning for large corporations.

Guys, Jesus is everywhere we don't want to be: broke, homeless. consumed with a zeal to serve the insignificant. And doing everything without the need or desire to be acknowledged."

Take all that you have been taught about Jesus: His voice, face and features and throw it out and insert the image displayed in PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Even resurrected, He shows scars of the crucifixion.

Not an appropriate sight at a Country Club; but a welcome presence at Portland Rescue Mission.