He is always nearby - a time for everything *

NORSK
The seven disciples who met Jesus at the shore of the Sea of Galilee were in an open physical landscape, but even in such sceneries much is hidden for the physical eye. The same may be said about the landscape of faith, it is open, yet not everything is revealed. This fact becomes evident in this verse:

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.
John 21:12

I do not think that it was the fear of Jesus' reaction that was the reason for the disciples not daring to ask the question, “Who are you?” I think it was because the moment was perceived as sacred. They had just experienced something supernatural. They did not understand the scope of it. Faith told them that it had to be their Lord and Master standing in front of them on the beach. A question or a void sentence could destroy the mystery of the holy moment it is to stand, sit or lay down in the presence of the Lord.

Anyway at least one of the disciples knew that Jesus knew what they knew in their hearts (2).

In such moments it is best to be quiet and just take in the mystery and keep it as something valuable, something only they can understand who have made the same experience: “Jesus is present in my everyday life.”

When I know that he is nearby, I do not dare to ask who he is or utter void words. It will ruin everything. It was very important for the disciples to learn this before they should receive tongues of fire shortly after this incident. Image if the 120 on the day of Pentecost had started to question “Who are you?”

‘Manna’ for today:

When Jesus is nearby, I will stay in his presence – not destroy it with void words.

-------------------------------------------------
(1) Imagine seeing such an amazing view and still grasp so little, but at the same time feel so intensely alive and at home in an unknown landscape - Nesna midnight July 2008. Is that what faith is?
(2) John 21:17
* 'A time for everything' is connected with the Bible's teaching about a 'season for every activity' Eccl 3 This series is about the teaching in the time between Easter and Pentecost 

Where do you belong? - 1

I will follow up the question from yesterday’s reflection on the “most important Christmas-song” (1).

My dear father-in-law left behind a number of 8mm film coils with takes  of family events from a couple of decades. When we watched it a few years back, it was hours on end of family-members waving to the camera. 
It occurred to me that I had come into a family belonging to the "wavers' land". 

When the Norwegian Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, was on an official visit to USA, President Obama made a speech and joked with the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation’s productions of “slow TV”. I was only able to watch a few glimpses of "The Coastal Steamer minute by minute". It contained a lot of beautiful scenery and even more people waving. So, I have finally realized that I actually live in the "wavers’ land". We wave when we go apart and we wave when we are not close enough for a hug. Therefore, waving in many ways symbolises distance. 

Distance was the characteristic of the relationship between God and man before Jesus came. God was a distant figure. Worship was a kind of “waving” from a distance. 

By becoming man, God transformed his relationship with men completely. He went from distance to presence. The Christmas mystery is God’s presence in the lives of people (2).

'Manna' for today:

I belong in God's presence

----------------------------------------------------
(1) The idea with this song is to give answers that can be acted out while dancing around the tree. The first example is “I belong to the wavers’ land, because everyone who can wave their hand, they belong to the wavers’ land.”

(2) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Eph 2:13

It is about a line

NORSK
If you have been to Athens, you have seen ruins of a great number of ancient temples. It was in this city Paul said:

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.
Acts 17:24 

Yesterday I wrote that the Tabernacle eventually was substituted by the Temple. I believe this happened as a prophetic act which pointed ahead to the final act of salvation that was going to happen in Jerusalem through Jesus. When he died the curtain in holiest of holy was torn, it opened a way for all believers, as individuals and in unity to become a living temple. For, as Paul also said in Athens, and which I quote for myself almost every day:

For in him we live and move and have our being.
Acts 17:28

Jesus knew that this was the reason for his life and mission, and revealed it to the Samaritan woman:

“believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. … the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
John 4:21-24

We can draw a line from the Tabernacle to the Temple and from there to every follower of Christ as a temple for the holy presence of God. It is made possible by the saving work of Jesus, and it saturates the world with his presence. 

‘Manna’ for today:

Where I am, is the Temple of the Lord!

----------------------------