‘No need to shout, I’m right here with you.’ Trusting that God has us.

By mmayer

John 1:29-42

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is the one I meant when I said, “A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.” ³¹I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.’

³²Then John gave this testimony: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.” ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.’^[a]

John’s disciples follow Jesus

³⁵The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’

³⁷When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’

They said, ‘Rabbi’ (which means ‘Teacher’), ‘where are you staying?’

³⁹‘Come,’ he replied, ‘and you will see.’

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (that is, the Christ). ⁴²And he brought him to Jesus.

Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which, when translated, is Peter^[b]).

Video

Canadian Christian author Sarah Bessey tells how she and her very loud son found a way to a softer volume setting when he was little, and she didn’t want the new baby woken. He was watching Sesame Street, where Kermit was trying to tell Grover to be softer. Grover wouldn’t listen, and Kermit got louder and louder. After flinging himself all round shouting, Kermit collapses in a heap, only to have Grover say, “You don’t have to shout, Froggy. I’m right here”. Her son laughed delightedly. That became their fun thing. When he got loud, she would just whisper in his ear, “You don’t have to shout, Froggy. I’m right here,” they would both smile, and he got quieter.

As she remembered that recently, it was as if God was saying to her, “I’m right here. You don’t have to shout.” Many North American Christians have found this last period so challenging, faith wise. Here, In Australia, we are grappling with how to support people of different faiths, without becoming a police state, or having groups live in constant fear and danger. It is so easy to become overwhelmed by all the things happening in the world, in our own lives or in those we care about.

The Gospel of John talks about ‘abiding’ places. Jesus has a safe ‘abiding’ place for each one of us, in him. It’s not just for when we get to heaven. It starts here and now. I believe we are called to trust that God has us, as where are, no matter what is happening in and around us. Then we don’t have to be so ‘loud’ in our thoughts, and in getting ourselves caught up.