The Road to Rediscovering Jesus

Wilberforce, Ohio

In my Spiritual Formation class at Payne Seminary two weeks ago a number of my students were brought back to their "first love," which is Jesus. In an atmosphere of quiet, silence, solitariness, and community emerging out of individual solitude with God, people were rediscovering Jesus.

Those who then build this into their daily lives find themselves constantly rediscovering Jesus. There is an ongoing freshness in one's experience about this. The emotions include delight, wonder, and surprise. God will always draw us back to Jesus.

Thomas Merton expresses it this way: "Today, in a moment of trial, I rediscovered Jesus, or perhaps discovered Him for the first time. But then, in a monastery you are always rediscovering Jesus for the first time." (Merton, A Year with Thomas Merton, Kindle Locations 1311-1312)

The road to rediscovery is the intentional Christ-abiding life. This is the life that "bears much fruit." The fruit is borne out of relationship. The relationship with Christ includes ongoing revelation and illumination of the Real Jesus. We become more deeply acquainted with our first love.

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