I stepped out of the church and into our parking lot right after church on Sunday and found Jesus in the parking lot. It was after church, so I’m assuming Jesus had been in the service, but now was relaxing outside in the warm sun. He looked so happy and snug all swaddled in his blanket. The hay was bright and clean. He was tiny-about the size of my big toe, (OK not so tiny, but look how big the tip of my shoe is in comparison). He was alone in a vast ocean of rocks, sand and concrete.
I walked right past him. Like the Levite on the way to the temple stepped over the wounded man on the road. I noticed him for an instant, but kept walking. Then I stopped and thought about it for a second. I spun on my heels (well turned slowly around, spinning seems way to dangerous to me and the friction of the parking lot is too much to spin on anyway) and headed back to see Jesus in the parking lot.
I stood and looked. I took his picture and then considered my next steps. He was right outside the door. He must have fallen as a child came out of the building. Maybe they would be back to retrieve him. Should I leave him in hopes of their return? Should I move him to a more protected spot? Would they be able to find him, if I moved him? Would he get run over in the parking lot? Would the rain was him away? Should I protect him?
The double nature of all these questions was not lost on me. It might be that our evaluation of Jesus in the Parking Lot is more important than what we think of Jesus in the Worship Center.
Do we take Jesus with us or leave him at the door? Do we find the people who need Jesus or just hope they find him? Should we protect Jesus-that is-try to clean Jesus up, make him more acceptable to others? Should we try to keep Jesus inside the church we he does not cause us much problem or in our cars, in our daily living where following him can lead to complicated situations and a change of my priorities. Can trouble just wash him away or are we with him for the long haul?
I left him in the parking lot and have been praying ever since that Jesus will go home with every one of us when we leave church and that he would be born in us new every day.