photo by Warren Wong on Unsplash
Lord, how can I find you?
Who dwells with you?
Numberless Muslims worship in a mosque in Jerusalem,
more than numberless in Mecca.
Jews are still praying at the Western Wall.
Hindus are washing themselves in the Ganges,
while Buddhists honour Buddha and fly to his country.
Sikhs are celebrating on India.
Across the world, all of us are looking for a home,
for a divine next for our souls.
How can I find you and where do you dwell?
Where is the nest of my spirit?
The problem is not in the location;
it is in the seeker and the one who has the question.
The answer is not found on the map, but it is connected to the heart.
Before I find the answer to the question,
I myself need to be the dwelling.
God’s house is in his people.
The address is within the son of Adam and the daughter of Eve.
But how do we find a son of Adam who is always truthful and perfect,
rooted in a righteousness unshaken by season or circumstances?
Who can go through the furnace of God’s holiness and sit in God’s bosom?
Who can live a heavenly life in the land of men and women?
Will I not find God before finding this man?
Without him I shall not be able to find the nest of my soul or leave the land of sorrows.
But praise God, God is Spirit and Jesus Christ is the revealed heavenly map.
God and humanity meet in him.
Joy and sadness meet in him.
The longings of the spirit are fulfilled in him,
and we find our homes and security in him.
On this day, I come to Jesus and follow him everywhere.
I worship God in every place and at all times.
Yohanna Katanacho, 1967 – , Palestinian Israeli evangelical theologian
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Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
prayer & verse 