Light and Presence
by Pauli Hubbard
It was a day like most, yet there was a feeling that something was about to change. A message of John’s death, Jesus’ cousin, had been given to him and the day he had known was coming had finally arrived. It was time and he left his familiar home with its beloved sounds and his mother’s voice and moved to Capernaum, by the sea.
He found a place to lodge and began taking early morning walks by the sea. Over time, he met some fishermen; they were good-hearted and coarse-mannered men. Men, the sea had made into its image. Daily he stopped to ask them about the night before. You see, it was in the night that they launched their boats out into the waters in search of a catch which would feed their families. Early morning was their time of cleaning their nets and sorting the fish.
Over time they had come to trust this man and even stopped their tasks to ask about the unique way he spoke about life and God. They wondered, who was this guy, where did he come from and why was he so interested in their life and stories? He eventually became a light to them, especially in the mornings when the catch was sparse and discouraging. Yes, a light, boy did they need that!
I do not know how long Jesus walked by the shore talking and listening; but I do know that something began to change in the hearts of these fishermen. Light had entered their world through a person named Jesus. His words moved them to desire more... not more fish, rather, something they just couldn’t put their finger on. Life? Something larger than themselves? I don’t know, but this presence changed them and they left everything they knew and began walking with Jesus.
Have you ever experienced a Light and Presence which caused you to hunger and thirst for God?
