Questions, that’s what. They make us tick and they make us click.. Before launching this site, I took a class on blogging, specifically blog-writing. And we learned all about blogs, how they get popular, how posts go viral, what makes people click.

My preaching friend, I know you are not surprised. We are all seeking answers, which is why we click on questions. The people in our pews are seeking answers and have already clicked-through – to you. We don’t need to get their attention when we preach. We do hope to keep it and, maybe, direct it to a place we believe deserves a look.

There had to have been some quality of Jesus that propelled those disciples to go and see what he was up to, or at least where he was staying. John the Baptist got them to pay attention. Behold! There he is the lamb of God. How was Jesus going to keep it?

By asking a question. He has been given a title but he wants to hear from them what the title means. That’s how I hear his invitational query – what are you looking for? What do you want from the lamb of God? What does that mean to you? What do you expect, hope, believe the lamb of God is here to do?

So, he asks his question, but they don’t have an answer. Do you?

Instead, they defer with a question of their own, “where are you staying?” Jesus’ question is too much, too big, too soon. What are we looking for? Well, how much time do you have? Of course they respond with a question that will prompt a concrete and comprehensible reply.

In pastoral situations of illness or crisis or death, when all the big questions hang in the air, I am sure you have noticed our human tendency to ask questions with definitive answers. Even though the answers won’t change or remedy the situation. Running through all the details of who, what, when, where keeps us busy. Even though we know it will rarely bring us to the “why?” The answer to our “why” is usually what we are looking and longing for.  

Here is one way to interpret Jesus’ question. What part of you is separate from God? What part of you denies your relationship with love and worthiness? What do you choose not to see in our world that reveals how we separate ourselves and others from the human family?

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Not, sins but sin. It is singular reality and we all share in it. 

“The great illusion that we must all overcome is that of separateness. Religion’s primary task is to communicate union, to reconnect people to their original identity “hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3:3) – Richard Rohr

To investigate, explore and acknowledge the parts and places of our self we keep separate is a way of following Jesus. Our search for completeness, wholeness begins with questions. Questioning our experiences and our assumptions. Jesus wants us to come and see and find what we need in those places so we can participate in the healing.

Love wants us to come and see and find our belovedness.

God wants us to come and see so we can find and participate in reconciliation. 

So, my preaching friend, how do you answer the question? Where is God wanting to grab your attention so that with your stories you can direct the attention of your people? To participate in healing our world. To come and see so they may go and tell. What attention might we all need to pay to healing the pieces of our heart where the lamb of God is longing to make us whole and take away the sin of the world.