There’s a line in the book of Acts 1 that always stands out, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” 

The question reminds us of how often we look for Jesus in the places where we have met him before or where we have experienced his presence most powerfully. Whether it’s a particular setting of the liturgy, or an environment where we’ve experienced God’s presence, we know those places.

In the case of the disciples, they had followed Jesus everywhere. They’d gone with him to Samaria where he’d met and spoken with a strange woman in broad daylight, they’d followed him to Bethany where Jesus had raised Lazarus from the dead before his final journey to Jerusalem. But the last place they saw him was here as Jesus was carried up into heaven on the clouds and so, of course, that’s where they want to remain. If he went up, maybe this is where he’ll come back done and appear again!

The problem is that right before Jesus’ Ascension, Jesus sends the disciples to be his witnesses — in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth! If they’re going to witness to Jesus’ love, the disciples are going to have to leave this place. The impulse to stay rooted in the places where we’ve known and met Jesus is strong, but there’s a whole world of people for who have never experienced Jesus and just like the disciples before us, we are called to witness to them as well!

We are not, however, called into this witnessing alone. At the end of Jesus final meal with his disciples, Jesus prays for them. In his prayer he reminds them (and us!) that as we go about witnessing to his love and loving ourselves, he continues to intercede for us — even now! Jesus knows how hard this work of loving God and each other is going to be for us. It’s hard to stay expansive to one another, especially when we’re not sure where Jesus is going to appear for us! And yet, Jesus prays for us and reminds us that we are never called to witness alone – he is always with us!

As we launch into the summer season with start of Memorial Day, and as we continue to living into a vision of building lasting community that follows Jesus, our hope is that wherever you find yourself, you remember that you are never beyond the realm of Christ’s presence with you, nor beyond the power of Christ’s prayers for you. In whatever place you find yourself extending God’s love made known in Jesus, be assured Christ goes before you and will meet you there too!