“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said,“and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-22

“THE TEMPTATION IS always to reduce life to size. A bowl of cherries. A rat race. Amino acids. Even to call it a mystery smacks of reductionism. It is the mystery. As far as anybody seems to know, the vast majority of things in the universe do not have whatever life is. Sticks, stones, stars, space—they simply are. A few things are and are somehow aware of it. They have broken through into Something, or Something has broken through into them. Even a jellyfish, a butternut squash. They’re in it with us. We’re all in it together, or it in us. Life is it. Life is with. After lecturing learnedly on miracles, a great theologian was asked to give a specific example of one. “There is only one miracle,” he answered. “It is life.” Have you wept at anything during the past year? Has your heart beat faster at the sight of young beauty? Have you thought seriously about the fact that someday you are going to die? More often than not do you really listen when people are speaking to you instead of just waiting for your turn to speak? Is there anybody you know in whose place, if one of you had to suffer great pain, you would volunteer yourself? If your answer to all or most of these questions is No, the chances are that you’re dead.” (Buechner, Frederick. Listening to Your Life . HarperOne. Kindle Edition.)

Do you think Jesus would have used social media if he was trying to find his disciples in the 21^st century? As I ponder this question I am more apt to think he would not. We are all becoming just a little leery and jaded by social media posts and websites and potential fake news with the proliferation of ways we are bombarded with information. I believe Jesus would know enough to realize people need to hear from him personally and individually, like he did with his original disciples if he wants to get their attention long enough to listen to his teachings.

Jesus sought out followers when he began his public ministry – and he approached them and, in many cases, called them by name – and then he offered them life. He called them from their busy lives and sought out their attention away from earthly concerns – for the promise of eternal life. While most of us cannot leave everything to be a follower of Jesus, we can set aside more of our time to be devoted to his teachings and his ministry. In 2021, let us resolve to spend less time on social media and spend more time in our bibles – and our churches.

Pastor Dave