Never Mind Waldo. Where's Jesus?

Where's Waldo was a cute concept, but one book out of that series was more than enough for me. The novelty factor on that distraction had a very limited time span. In the past year, however, I have discovered a new and better game. In stark contrast, this game is one I hope to play more and more of the time for the rest of my life. It's called, Where's Jesus?

I suppose there are quite a few variations on this game, and I'd count WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) in that mix. But the very wording of WWJD almost encourages us to believe that Jesus is gone. My Where's Jesus game is predicated by the assumption that he's very much here. The game is not my own invention, however. It is tied quite closely to the practices of Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach, who are perhaps the two people in history best known for something called Practicing the Presence.

Those who "practice the presence" essentially commit their lives to a continual conversation with God. Simply put, what we're talking about ceaseless prayer during every waking moment. The notion may seem impossible, but these two men in particular are known for having done it with great success, if not perfectly.

Though both of these men are long dead, they are still well remembered today — despite their simple lives. Brother Lawrence, for example, was nothing more than a simple dishwasher who lived some four hundred years ago in a French monastery. This is not great starting material for a blockbuster movie, but God values things which carry little weight in Hollywood.

But I digress. How do I play Where's Jesus? It comes down to this: Brother Lawrence was adept at maintaining his ongoing conversation with God, but I am not. I want to do it, but I find it difficult. If I can picture Jesus in the room, however, I find it easier to remember he is there, and to keep that conversation with Jesus going. Furthermore, with Jesus situated in the room I find it also easier to speak andbehave as if he is in the room with me.

Needless to say, Jesus is not a little mannequin I can place where I like. He is God the Son. God the Son is omnipresent! No, this game is not tied very closely to reality in that it falls short of the truth. But I am so limited and frail that, strangely enough, reducing Jesus to a spot in the room actually helps me to remember he is there at all. And it helps me to keep my conversation with Him going.

Sometimes programmers (like myself) fix code with something called a hack. It's something that falls short of the perfect solution but which nevertheless gets the job done. "It's a hack," we confess, "but it works." Where's Jesus is a hack, but I bear testimony that it does work. If I can ever dispense with it, so much the better. Until then, I have made it my goal to find a spot wherever I go and remember that Jesus is there.

Jesus is standing in the corner as I write this blog. Earlier today, he was sitting on the sofa. During lunch I forgot to play the game. At church this morning, he was sitting in an empty chair at first, and later he was sitting under the wooden cross up front. I am sure he enjoyed the sermon.

Right now I think Jesus is motioning me to finish up the blog and focus on the conversation a bit more intently! Sounds good to me.