We Encounter God through Ordinary Things

St Mark refers to the feelings of Jesus more often than any other evangelist. He responds to the Pharisees’ request for a sign from heaven “with a sigh that came straight from the heart.” That sigh led to the question, “Why does this generation demand a sign?” We can almost sense the frustration of Jesus in that sigh, straight from the heart.

We sometimes look for signs from heaven, seeking the extra-ordinary and unusual.

In his teaching, Jesus invites us to see signs of God’s presence in ordinary things, the sower who goes out to sow his field, the woman who looks for her lost coin, the care given to a stranger on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, the man who finds unexpected treasure in his field, and so on.

It is in the ordinary that the mystery of God’s kingdom is to be found, because all creation is full of God’s glory. God has ordained that we are to experience His presence in our lives through the ordinary things that we daily encounter in our lives: the orphans, the homeless, our families, our work, our studies and our friends are all signs of God’s presence in our lives.

God reveals himself in the events of nature and history. We learn of him from the changing seasons, from the power of nature, from the sun, moon, and stars. We don’t need to wait for extra-ordinary and unusual to say that we have encountered God.

If we are to seek God, it is important for us to seek Him in His own way.

Fr George Mungai

OLRCP - Ridgeways