“Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, ‘What are you looking for?’” – John 1:38
We’re just a few weeks into 2015, and the holiday buzz has already begun to fade. New toys have lost their novelty, and that same old longing for something more has returned.
“What are you looking for?” Jesus asks the two men who are following Him.
We find the answer to His question in the words of Saint Teresa of Avila, the great 16th century Spanish saint, mystic, and Doctor of the Church:
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
Yes, only God can satisfy the desire of our hearts, because only God is infinite and eternal. So, whether we realize it or not, He is what we are looking for. In the end, being with Him is all that will matter.
How, then, do we find God? Well, in reality, God finds us. He takes the initiative and pursues us. He comes knocking on our door, and we just have to be vigilant and ready to let Him in.
You see, this is really more of a question about Who God is. Simply put, God is Love (1 John 4:8). God is the Most Holy Trinity; the Eternal self-gift of the Father to the Son, poured out through the Holy Spirit like a great cosmic Dance.
The good news is that He wants us to dance with Him. So, he pursues us and calls us out onto the dance floor. That’s why He became man; to teach us the steps of the Dance. And thankfully, He is a good leader. We just have to let Him guide us and follow His moves.
What is His signature move? It is what is known in Greek as kenosis, which means “to empty.” Saint Paul explains this in his letter to the Philippians by quoting an early Church hymn. He tells us that in order to save us Jesus:
emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness,
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to death,
even death on a cross (2:7-8).
So, if we want to dance the dance of divine Love, we too must follow Jesus and empty ourselves out for love of others. If we do, we will “store up treasures in heaven” where God is “all in all,” and only love remains (Matthew 6:20, 1 Cor. 13:8, 15:28). What could be more satisfying than that?
Lord Jesus, teach us to love like you, that we might share in your Love and the eternal glory of heaven that alone can fulfill all our desires. Amen.
