Privileged Places

Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”

John 20:26b

I sit in the early morning light looking out over the pastel surface of the Brussels airport, and I see Jesus. He is here. His gentleness undulates through the mist that sits reverently over the tarmac. I can trace His order along the carefully laid lines and dashes showing luggage trucks and airplanes where to go, and where not to. I hear the crescendo of His longing in the crowds of weary travelers disembarking, reembarking. His kingdom glimmers just ahead of the passport control line like an invitation to a distant country. The intelligence of the One who was there in the beginning resounds in the roar of the jet engine as a plane lifts off. I feel the pulse of His heartbeat toward the one sitting beside me, listlessly scrolling through news that reminds him he is small and alone. Jesus is here, everywhere.

This ordinary place is a privileged place.

I once thought privileged places, those places where we encounter God, were a narrow lot. Scripture, prayer, worship. I have spent many a long hour basking in His presence in those extraordinary, privileged places.

But today, I am in an airport, and He is here. I marvel at His transcendence, the One who walked through walls to reach his disciples who huddled in fear and strategy. The one who quietly showed up in a garden at sunrise and said the name of one He loved.

I wonder if those around me can see the radiance in my face as I worship Him in the ordinary turned holy. Do they feel different, sitting right beside me as I gaze on God? This place where He meets me in the midst? Surely, I think to myself, my small soul cannot keep His power from spilling out around me.

Or do the busy ones continue in the struggle of the ordinary, unaware? I was busy, too. Until I noticed Him, and everything stood still on the tarmac of my life’s lift-offs and landings.

Jesus is here. He is everywhere, all the time. Can you see Him?

I hope so.

Lord, walk through the walls of my distraction and open my eyes to see You with me, everywhere. Make every place a privileged place for everyone. Amen.

 

@audreycfrank

Photo by Artur Tumasjan on Unsplash