Where's Waldo?

Sunday, February 8, 2015

When Jane and I were in Florida last month we were sitting around the dinner table with another couple, the wine was flowing, and the talked turned to retirement. I was asked, What would you do if you could retire?”

My answer was I’d lay in a hammock suspended between two coconut trees along the beach and I would alternate between two things: napping and reading Shakespeare.

These days, I don’t really make time to read for pleasure, but when I find something compelling, well, I just can’t put it down. Here’s the latest book to catch my attention:

Where’s Waldo? Well, Waldo is amongst the people. He is resident amongst the everyday and the author of the book assures us that Waldo is present on every page of the book.

Jane has a natural ability to spot four-leaf clovers. I think the correct description of that skill is, pattern recognition.

Finding Waldo can require patience and persistence… unless you have “pattern recognition” and then it’s easier… you expect see Waldo (or, what appears to be hidden) clearly and quickly.

How do we “see” the world and personal events? We see them through our consciousness, through what we expect to see.

In the Colorado, where the Broncos play football, two people can watch the same game and see proof that supports their perspective whether they are amongst the detractors who see them as, “The Donkeys” or the avid supporters who are sure they will win every game this year including the Super Bowl.  We see what we expect to see and we will see the same things over and over, according to our expectations until we change what we choose to be conscious of. Once we change our consciousness, our way of thinking, then where we expected to see one thing, we now expect another.

Last week I suggested that when we don’t know who we are we try to create an image, and we work diligently to perfect the image that we project into the world as “me.” And I also suggested that this illusory self-image will be drawn from something the world holds as dear: money, intelligence, our sense of humor, the way we look, our skill at getting what we want from other people, how religious we are, how athletic we are, how good we are with money, how well we’re doing in school, or for instance, the amount of power we yield.

One seeming attribute of human nature is that we seem to “stick to our level,” economically, socially, and perhaps even according to the level of worldly power we have.

Let’s briefly look at the Hebrew Bible story about Naaman. Naaman was the leader of the Syrian Army, successful, powerful, and in great favor with his King. In 2 Kings 5:1-15 we read, “Now on one of their raids they had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel and she served Naaman’s wife.” So here we have this young woman, a captive from a successful raid on neighboring Israel serving as a slave in the household of Naaman and his wife.

Well, Naaman has all this power and wealth and the poor, old guy discovers he has leprosy. This is not a good thing for a man of position and authority.

The slave girl says to her mistress, the wife of Naaman, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” This prophet in Samaria is Elisha (Elisha is regarded by Bible commentators as a forerunner of Jesus. His character and works, his gentleness and simplicity run parallel to Jesus. Jesus is regarded, though, as more fully manifesting the Spirit of God. Elisha, though, is a Master of Life in his own time.)

Through a series of events, Elisha invites Naaman to come to him for healing. 2 Kings tells us, “Naaman came with his horses and his chariots.” In other words, his entourage, and because he was a man of great power I imagine he projected a formidable presence.

Once he gets to Elisha’s, Elisha’s servant comes out to address Naaman. I’m imagining it occurring this way. The servant pokes his head out the door and says, “Are you Naaman? Yes? Ok, “Go was in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.”” And he shuts the door in Naaman’s face. (Slam!)

“But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord, his God and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy.” Then he goes on to complain that rivers in Syria are much nicer than all the waters of Israel and he stomps off defiantly.

So what is occurring here? The high and mighty expects to Elisha to make a spectacle over him and heal him. But Elisha sends out a servant… a lowly, common servant carries the message of healing.

To wrap this story up Naaman’s own servants says to him, in effect, “If the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, you’d have done that. He gave you something easy to do, so why not do it?” Naaman goes down to the Jordan, bathes seven times and is cured.

So what do you think? Is God present in the mass of the everyday, like Waldo, or in the showy moments of power and prestige?

Clearly God is present in both. In this Bible story we see that the healing message is carried by, is present with, the everyday persons. My interpretation is that God is present in the everyday-ness of life. Naaman, with his power and superior attitude eventually listens and hears the healing word present in the everyday. He had a hard time spotting it, but it was there.

God, just like Waldo, is present among the mass of humanity… even when you have a difficult time spotting “Him.”

I have to ask you, “What are you expecting. Where do you expect to find God?

Maybe we’re like Namaan and expect something loud and flashy and showy; dramatic. Or worse, maybe we’ve lost heart and don’t expect anything anymore. Either way, I want you to know that God is present and in our midst.

Now, I’m willing to admit, uncovering the blocks to the awareness of God’s Presence can be really hard work. It requires patience. It requires intentionality. It requires, I believe, a regular spiritual practice…and a decision to have faith in God’s promise that “He” is present on every page of the book of your life. God is here. God is present and in your midst.

Seek to become aware of the Presence of God and you will. Expect to see this presence… and you will, for no one can fail who seeks the Presence of God.

(Thank you again to Father John Newton for his idea and words, used without permission (because I couldn’t find him)).