Where Jesus is most present

Where is Jesus most present? 

I think Jesus is most obviously present in the worst of situations. Maybe that’s just because he’s easier to see in those moments. 

What would these times be? 

This past week one of the nurses who works in the free clinic that our church hosts told me about a young woman who was being sexually trafficked. She came in saying she had enough and was ready to get out. She had been beaten, bruised, had cigarette burns on her chest, and had been raped and discarded. The nurse and a nursing student helped her. They literally helped her put food in her mouth, offered care and love to her all without judgement. She had been through hell after all. And Jesus was there. In the form of a nursing student who knelt down to this woman’s level and was empathetic and caring. 

A month or so ago a man who visits the clinic often was held at gun point in the alleyway outside the clinic. There were three men, completely covered to make themselves unidentifiable. It was related to drugs. The nurses could only watch helplessly on the video screen, praying for the man’s safety. The three assailants left the man after beating him. The nurses offered care to him. Jesus was there. 

A couple of months ago a man came into the clinic which I was in the waiting room. I spent time each week in the clinic wearing my collar, with a sign that says, “free prayer.” The man opened the door to the clinic, stuck his head in and said, “can someone help me.” The nurses were all occupied. I went over to the man in the doorway, found him shirtless and sitting on the step. He asked for a shirt, but clearly he needed more. I got the attention of the nurses, who came over. He was in an overdose situation. They kept him conscious long enough for the EMTs to arrive. Jesus was there too. 

What I’ve learned over time is that Evil is real. What makes it so very real is its unrelenting nature. It’s just doesn’t stop. I think it doesn’t stop because if it did, it would collapse. 

Evil requires 100% compliance too. It requires complete control. Otherwise it is a failure. Evil is a bit fundamentalist in outlook – I don’t mean that in a religious way. I mean that in its outlook on the world. Fundamentalist in the all or nothing way. And when there is only all or nothing, then it has to present itself as overwhelming so that anyone in opposition will just give up and feel like it’s hopeless. That’s how evil always operates. Evil tries to kill hope. 

But the fascinating thing about these situations is that when it all seems hopeless, that’s when Jesus shows up. I think there’s deeper meaning to that. Why doesn’t Jesus just prevent the horror in the first place? I don’t know. But Jesus shows up at just the right time – the time when it appears hope will die. I think part of that is that this is the time that goes beyond our own capabilities. It’s like Jesus shows up to Narcan hope – opening the airwaves so that it can breathe. And in doing so, he ensures there isn’t 100% compliance for Evil. Jesus isn’t fundamentalist in his outlook. He doesn’t need 100% compliance. He doesn’t need control. Even just 1% means that Evil fails. Remember, Evil sees the world in all or nothing. So if it doesn’t have all, the it’s a failure. It’s almost like Jesus is poking and prodding evil and whispering in its ear – “you lose. It’s only a matter of time until the rest of reality catches up to that truth.”

Jesus shows up and calls on us to also show up. So we can see Jesus at work. 

Jesus works through us. It’s not about getting compliance, like Evil. Rather it’s about making connections and creating sanctuary where people can experience sabbath rest. Sanctuary ensures that Evil will never win. As long as one person say “no” to cruelty and misery and hatred and fear, Evil loses. As long as one place is sanctuary and offers sabbath rest, there will be hope. 

Jesus doesn’t operate on win/lose. Rather, he looks at a situation as how it is moving towards wholeness – shalom. When Jesus shows up, he invites us to shalom, the kingdom of God, wholeness. He gives us an alternative to the overwhelmingness of Evil. He offers hope and rest. He offers care and love. He sees our humanity and in doing so, opens our eyes to see our humanity and others’ humanity too. 

That’s important because humans have limitations. Humans experience brokenness. We wear out. We lose hope. We can’t do it all. Evil tries to tell us that we have to. Jesus reminds us that we can’t and to stop. We don’t have to do it all – especially not alone. Sometimes I wonder if we have trouble hearing that message. Sometimes I wonder if we’ll only hear it in the midst of being overwhelmed. 

Jesus shows up.