Prayer:
Gracious Father, open to us the doors to faith and life, give us opportunity to come to you, but most of all, give us the curiosity to dare to go through the doors you open and come close to you. Amen.
Bible Reading:
Luke 19:1-10
Silence:
One to two minutes
Reflection:
“Curiosity killed the cat”, it is said, as if there is a lesson in it – like be careful about sticking your nose someplace where it doesn’t belong. Today’s lesson touches on the flavor of such a warning also, but in a more salutary way. “Curiosity is a dangerous thing when it has to do with Jesus.” Most people are far from curious, as if somehow the characteristic has been drummed out of us through a methodical application of “shoulds” and “should nots”, political correctness, and just downright “adulthood”. As a result, there are few surprises that happen in our lives, especially in our spiritual lives. Curiosity is nothing more than being open to something new, I mean really open – not presuming, not micro managing, not pigeonholing. It is a dangerous openness, though. Things happen, like a new friend, a new insight, a new opportunity. For Zaccheaus curiosity opened the door for Jesus to transform him from an executive level scumbag to a generous reformed humanitarian. Maybe people know better than to be curious – it’s a dangerous thing, it might bring change to your life.
Action – Repentance and Creation:
The next conversation you have with a close friend, think about being genuinely curious about what makes them tick, and then ask them. Maybe you’ll find out something you never knew, either about them or about yourself.