Following Jesus

One of my favourite authors has long been Henri Nouwen - and it was a joy and an encouragement recently to read one that I hadn't - Following Jesus. It is sub-titled - 'Finding your way home in an age of anxiety' and drawn from a series of lectures he gave on that theme at a point in his life when he was really struggling. He uses the idea of 'home' as an important image in reflecting on our connection with God.

"Jesus is a host who wants us around him. Jesus is the Good Shepherd of the Old Testament who invites his people to his table where the cup of life overflows. This image of God inviting us to his home is used throughout scripture. The Lord is my house. The Lord is my hiding place. The Lord is my awning. The Lord is my refuge. The Lord is my tent. The Lord is my temple. The Lord is my dwelling place. The Lord is my home. The Lord is the place where I want to dwell all the days of my life. God wants to be our room, our house. He wants to be anything that makes us feel at home. She is like a bird hugging us under her wings. She is like a woman holding us in her womb. She is Infinite Mother, Loving Host, Caring Father, the Good Provider who invites us to join him."

He reminds us that God's ways are not our ways and that things need to be seen very differently when we allow kingdom values to be our preference. "The Kingdom is where everything is turned upside down. Those who are marginal, those considered not respectable, are suddenly proclaimed as the people who are called to the Kingdom. The part of us that is weak, broken, or poor suddenly becomes the place where something new can begin. Jesus says, “Be in touch with your brokenness. Be in touch with your sinfulness. Turn to God because the Kingdom is close at hand. If you are ready to listen from your brokenness then something new can come forth in you.”"

That is actually really difficult. Worldly influence invariably means that it is not our preferred style. "When we are concerned that there isn’t enough, our first response is to start hoarding. We start hoarding the bread, the fish. Hoarding honour. Hoarding affection, hoarding knowledge. Hoarding ideas. If we start hoarding we find ourselves with enemies."

We need to think that through. We need to let fear overcome love. "Fear is precisely what makes us hold on to our position and possessions. It makes us hold on to what we have, because we are so afraid we will lose what we need. Love is overcoming fear. Love is letting go and trusting that in the letting go life will multiply. Life will become more."

Nouwen simply, but powerfully, reminds us of how Jesus would have us deal with enemies. "Speaking words of forgiveness is where the love of enemies becomes visible."

There is a lot in the book as it explores questions of discipleship for, in the end, all that is - is following Jesus. He includes much about God's love towards us, but also a powerful reminder that we ARE called to play our part. "To follow Jesus means that we do the walking. We are the ones doing the talking, living life, getting involved. We are the ones struggling, the ones who need to work hard. Jesus, in a way, does not take away the difficulties of our journey. I even dare to say that, following Jesus means everything changes while everything remains the same. You know very well that followers of Jesus—disciples—are people who live real human lives."

He recognises that it is not always easy, but it is always possible.