There are a few times in the Biblical story that God catches the attention of ordinary people in extraordinary ways. The times and places where God tapped people in the shoulder is often surprising. God caught the attention of an infertile Babylonian man named Abram, through whom God said the whole world would be blessed. God showed up in the life of a singing shepherd boy who would become the great King David. It was on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked up to a few unsuspecting fishermen and invited them to follow him; people who thought they would spend their life mending nets, but who would go on to change the course of history.
It seems to be God’s way, at least in the Bible stories we read about, to show up in unexpected ways. Sometimes God spoke through a burning bush, as in the time God encountered Moses, or through an angel with Mary, but more often than not God stepped into the stories of people who were least expecting it. Yet in nearly every case, whether they felt capable or not, people who heard from God were ready with an expectant, ‘yes!’
Dallas Willard wrote that “God does not ordinarily compete for our attention.” It has never been God’s way to push onto the scene and force people to go God’s way. Over and over again we see that those who enjoy company with God and delight in God’s world have found a way to live expectantly and attentively to God.
Being attentive to God begins by being mindful. Mindfulness is about slowing down a bit, listening, speaking honestly, and allowing the chaos of our imaginations to make room for clarity and focus. We live in an age of distraction, but mindfulness gives us new focus and serves as a posture of prayer by helping us to be attentive and present with God.
Here is the most hopeful part for me: almost everyone in the Bible story were pretty messed up. They did not have it all together. They were not spiritual gurus. God was never scandalized by the messiness or brokenness. He expected it and embraced it. All God ever looked for were people who were willing to open their lives to God’s surprising and untamed invitation.
The people today are not much different from those messy and faithful people we encounter in the Bible. You may not be an elderly impotent Babylonian, a singing sheep herder, or a forgotten fisherman – but you may be a parent, sales person, teacher, gas station manager, or politician. Whatever your work or vocation in our community, you are welcome into the Big Story of God’s work happing all around us: bringing peace, fostering hope, forgiving others, loving the lonely, and offering healing and joy.
We may not meet God in a burning bush in a cul-de-sac at the end of our street. But we may be more likely to sense God’s invitation as we begin to live attentively and with mindfulness, reaching out with God’s love to others. Jesus often shows up in the people we welcome into our lives. Then, on some grey Wednesday afternoon when you least expect it, you may be surprised to hear yourself whisper, ‘yes!’ to God’s invitation to you. It may be the word that changes everything; a word that rings through eternity.
