Feb
21
Being There
Filed Under Devotional
There is prestige in having been there. Our society has placed attendance at major events as an achievement in itself. Think of how many baby-boomers claim to have been at Woodstock. How big a deal is it to go to the World Series or the Super Bowl? How many times do we ooh and ahh when we hear a story from someone who can say, “I was there.” Heck, being at the big events turned into a running gag in the movie “Forrest Gump”
If you try to look at it objectively, there isn’t any real value to being at the event if you weren’t a principal player. What difference does it make to the course of history if I watched the winning touchdown on TV or in person? Sure the emotion is more dramatic, but does it have any tangible effect on my life?
But in most religions (including Judaism), location is important. You visit shrines or holy sites out of the sincere belief that you can get closer to whatever deity or force you believe in. The temple in Jerusalem was where God resided and there was a real, tangible value to the getting closer to God.
Then, He turned all that on its head:
“For where two or three have gathered in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20
“But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Romans 8:10
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27
Christ lives within us. He is in our midst when we gather. You can’t get on a plane to fly closer to God. You can’t climb a mountain to get closer to God. He is right here with you and me right now.
The distance is crossed by His love and mercy when we are humble enough to accept it.