In John’s Gospel (John 1: 35-42) Jesus' ministry begins not with a command to silence a demon, as in Mark; nor with a sermon to the crowds who have gathered on a mountain, as in Matthew, and not with a quotation from Isaiah, as in Luke. No, it begins with a question: "What are you looking for?"  This is a question which we continue to wrestle with as individuals and communities. Our answer will have as much to do with the journey to its revelation. What are we seeking? What motivates us? What is it that we really need, not just on the surface, but down deep into the core of our being?  This question is particularly relevant in this season of the Epiphany. Consider this…we have an advantage over the disciples: we know what’s coming and we know how it all will end. Yet, this question is timeless, what are we looking for?  

Immediately following their “introductions,” the disciples ask Jesus another question: "where are you staying?" We know that John is not one to mince words. We have learned in our readings that John selects his words for what they say and not necessarily what they literally mean. So, asking Jesus where he was “staying” has little to do with making inquiry about his local lodging or accommodations. Instead, it requires that we probe for what the phrase might say to us. What word might you select as a synonym for “stay?” Continue, dwell, lodge, sojourn, rest, settle, last, endure, persevere, be steadfast, abide, be in close and settled union and indwell? The list is endless and any of the preceding words might work at any given time.  

Marcus Borg writes in the Heart of Christianity, “that the Christian life is not about believing or a set of beliefs, but it’s about a deepening relationship with the one in whom we live and move and have our being. Paying attention to this relationship transforms us.” So, if we choose to interpret John’s question to mean our asking about an intimate, enduring relationship with God, the word “abide” has particular meaning that fits. We surrender our ego to God as the Word becomes flesh and abides in us, and sows the seed of transformation, and we are born into a new life.