When I wrote this blog, our lives looked different than they do today. Without much warning, we are now reacting to the coronavirus pandemic and many of us feel overwhelmed. Perhaps you feel challenged by what it means to love an out-of-work family member or a sick neighbor. Maybe the fear of exposure plagues you and you struggle with being overly self-protective. Or perhaps you are on the other end of the spectrum and tend to overlook the valid fears of people who are at risk. No matter how you are responding to this crisis, we all need, now more than ever, to be diligent in seeing the people God has placed in front of us and finding ways to care for them.
As I read the gospels, I am struck by how attuned Jesus is to the people around him. Many encounters start with the simple introduction of who he sees.
Jesus sees Andrew and Peter following him, and he engages their inquiring hearts (John 1:38). Jesus sees Nathanael and encourages his devout worship (John 1:47-50). Jesus sees the paralyzed man and heals him (John 5:6–10). Jesus sees the hungry crowd and feeds them (John 6:5–11).
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