Now What?

Check this out:

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands.

The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen!

And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this:

The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.

We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.

Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!

Those are the opening words of First John. They are the words of a witness...someone who saw and experienced an event that changed them forever.

What was the big event?

Easter. Resurrection. An empty tomb.

If these words were indeed written by John the "beloved" disciple...then he ran ahead of Peter to the place of the resurrection. He was with those gathered in fear when Jesus suddenly appeared and made himself known to them. He was in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when they spotted a familiar friend on the shoreline...and helped haul in that miraculous catch.

He saw, and was changed.

What about us?

What do we do when Easter is over?

A great friend in ministry said something profound to me yesterday:

Why do our churches slow down every year after Easter? Why do we have such full houses on Easter Sunday, only to begin the "inevitable" decline into summer?

It doesn't have to be that way.

John says that what we witness changes us, forever. If "the infinite life of God took shape before us," that's not something that goes on summer vacation.

John goes on to say that the "now what" is love. That Jesus' people will love each other because God is love.

Love that person who visited with you this last Sunday. Pick up the phone and call them. Invite them to come back again this week. But most of all...look for the "infinite life of God" at work all around us.

And be love.

Grace & Peace,

Adam