WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?

Reflections for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (1 Samuel 3:3b-10, 19; 1 Corinthians 6:13c-15a, 17-20; John 1:35-42)

“What are you looking for?”, Jesus asks his first disciples. The very first line spoken by the ‘Word made flesh’, in the Johannine Gospel, was not a dogmatic formulation, a theological lecture, a catechism lesson, or a moral declaration. No, the first words of the incarnate Word is a question. Jesus doesn't initiate the formation process of his future disciples by explaining to them the mystery of the Holy Trinity or the problem of evil. He does not begin with answers but with a question. His question is different too! He does not ask them, “Who is God?”, a question that forms the title of the first chapter of our catechism books, a question that not even mystics have been able to answer with certainty.

The point of the question, 'what are you looking for?' is to engage the future disciples in a conversation. It is clear that Jesus is not running a recruitment campaign. He does not explain his kingdom project or promise attractive remunerations. Instead, he enters into an in-depth personal conversation with them, starting from where they ‘are’ and not from where he wishes they ‘were’. In the first reading, the Lord initiates a similar conversation with Samuel, who with the help of Eli, overcomes his initial difficulties and eventually learns to pray “Speak, for your servant is listening”. Our discipleship formation begins when we enter into an in-depth personal conversation with Jesus through prayer, sacraments, and our commitment to God’s reign of justice and love, etc.,

What is equally fascinating is that the disciples of John don’t seem too keen on formulating an answer to Jesus’ question. Instead, they ask him a question too: “Rabbi (teacher), where are you staying?” In his reply, Jesus does not give them an address, nor does he share his GPS location on a map. His reply is instead an invitation to “come and see”, a response that does not necessarily answer the question of the disciples but initiates them into a process that bridges the chasm between heaven and earth, divinity and humanity, the Kingdom of God and the Church. This invitation transcends the boundaries of dioceses, congregations, rites, churches, and boundaries.

By posing this question at the beginning of his Gospel, and not forcing a well-formulated answer into Jesus' mouth, John gives a precious indication of what the life of every disciple will be like: a permanent state of questioning, a search that is always transitionary, provisional, always to be surpassed, to be perfected by trial and error, by a continuous process of an exodus from certainties, formulations, and affirmations. This explains why even after a lifetime of prayer, meditation, and practise of virtues, the greatest of mystics like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross readily confess that what they know certainly about God is infinitely more than what they know about him.

Pope Benedict XVI said, “The Church does not grow by proselytizing; she grows by attracting others” (Homily on 13 May 2007 in Brazil). Pope Francis adds, “And what attracts is our witness. Being a catechist means witnessing to the faith, being consistent in our personal life. This is not easy! We help, we lead others to Jesus with our words and our lives, with our witness. I like to recall what Saint Francis of Assisi used to say to his friars: “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words”. Words come… but witness comes first: people should see the Gospel, read the Gospel, in our lives” (Address to catechists on 27 September 2013 in Rome).

The probing question of the Messiah (what are you looking for?) and his invitation (come and see) are means to liberate ourselves from our universalised objective formulations and the walls that keep us away from God and each other. It is this experience of liberation that enabled Andrew to go out of his self to find Simon and share the news of his discovery. He tells him, “We have found the Messiah”. The formation process of Andrew, Simon, John and the other disciples will take them beyond the narrow confinements of the sabbath prescriptions and traditions to engage them in conversations with children, women, tax collectors, lepers, epilepsies, those oppressed by demonic powers, etc.,

These conversations will eventually widen the “space in their tents” (Isaiah 54:2) and become the foundations of the Church, the body of Christ (second reading). Jesus’ inaugural question, “What are you looking for?” will continue to resonate in their journey with Jesus and in their ministry of creating bonds, discovering the dignity of every human person, and witnessing the Gospel of life. To be a disciple is to engage in this journey, to live in a permanent God-seeking mode, and to engage in conversations that transform us and those we converse with.