What will this child turn out to be?

This question hangs in the air around the birth of John the Baptist. Often we tend to fast forward the scene of his nativity to the proclamation which we find on his lips when he bears witness to Christ where he says, "He must increase, I must decrease" In these prophetic words he starts to see his whole life summed up in pointing to the life of another by being himself. There can be this time of impatience where we want to see instant results and a life which can be clearly understood. We want our spirituality prepackaged and mailed to us in the post. Yet God keeps turning up disguised as our life.

In seeking to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ we cannot just hope that we will encounter him somewhere along the way. There is a need to allow him to discover us. Often we feel that we have to put a lot of effort into finding him, reflecting on scripture, reading the right books, seeking the counsel of other Christians and acting in a way which is founded on Christian virtues and values. This is all to the good but we also need for him to able to reflect with us, to read our hearts, to offer us counsel and to learn what it is to be in relationship with him. There is a need to be found in a way which helps us to remove our masks and to find the place where we are truly known.

Like Francis Thompson who wrote the Hound of Heaven as a reflection on Psalm 139 we start to notice a God who is relentless in his love for us. Who pursues us in a way where we find someone who fully understands who we are and who we are called to be. In an age where people seem to be running from God the chase is still on. God seeks us out so that we may find our true home in which we are called to abide and discover our true worth. We are called to live a life which is at home with God and at home with our selves, in which we are wonderfully made.