Zdravím, přátelé,*
The other night a few classmates and our instructor from my summer Czech course had a final gathering at a local restaurant. We had interacted before, but mostly in the context of the class. But this night, for the first time, we talked more plainly about our lives outside of class. Most of them were living in Prague, involved in some sort of technical work--network engineers, cybersecurity, and the like.
So naturally their question to me was, "What is your day job?" And suddenly it struck me how difficult it is for me to explain what I'm doing here. I don't mean shying away from the fact I'm doing "religious work"; rather, it's how to explain it, especially to people whose context is so different from mine. The question haunted me. Later on, I flopped back on my bed and asked God what exactly was I doing here? It wasn't really frustration or despair; I'm confident he has me here for a reason. Mostly I want something to say that doesn't sound either flaky or evasive, especially to the ambitious "rat-race" culture of those around me.
My mind wandered back to a chilly afternoon in a cemetery nearly two years ago when I was first wrestling with the question of whether to pursue coming here. What would I do here if I came? What could I possibly have to offer? What would I be giving up? And would it be worth it? What really awaits me in the Czech Republic?
His answer to me back then was essentially the same answer he gave to the first disciples when they asked where he was staying: "Come, and you will see." (John 1:39).
Come, and you will see...it's not an invitation to see the whole picture. It's an invitation to come with Him, and see Him in the context of that place and in this moment. And not metaphorically or in some overly-spiritualized sense; but in a real, physical, incarnational stand-up-and-move-in-this-direction kind of way.
This way of looking at following Jesus came into sharper focus as I was preparing to leave Richland. Follow Me out of your old house on McPherson. Follow Me on to the plane. Follow Me to your new flat on Budějovická street. Follow Me up the hill to the Metro. Follow Me to the I.P. Pavlova stop. Follow Me onto Tram 22. Follow Me off the tram at Národní Třída. Follow Me up the stairs into the classroom.
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Following Jesus can seem so ordinary. Most of the time, all we see is where our feet are right now. So I still don't have a tidy answer to "So what are you doing here?" My best answer? I'm here because Jesus invited me to follow Him here...to come and see. I can't guarantee that won't sound flaky to those who ask. It might awkwardly shut down the conversation really fast! But then again...it might just open up a different kind of conversation.
And sure enough, it can. A few nights later I invited a couple of other classmates over for dinner--my very first actual guests in my new flat--the two young women I happened to sit next to on the first day of class, one from France and the other from Nigeria. It gave me an opportunity to put into practice the power of conversation over a bottle (or two) of wine and a bowl of pasta that I had experienced on my wine pilgrimage in France and Germany. The conversations that flowed were remarkable and funny and wrenching and holy and went late into the night. We quickly went from observations about our shared Czech class to life stories and life questions and life pain.
I want more of this. These are the conversations that desperately need to happen, not just with my fellow international students, but in this cultural context. So as I show up for my first class of intensive language tomorrow morning, it remains my main motivation, that some day I might be able to have conversations like this...in Czech.
So...time to take another bite of the elephant!
Blessings until next time,
*Greetings, friends
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