Come and See

As I stood in the long line of travelers in O’Hare International Airport, I held tightly to my passport & plane tickets and reflected on how I had come to this point. It all started with an unexpected invitation.

About a year prior to my long wait in the airport security line, a friend of mine had participated in a two-week Biblical studies trip in Israel & Jordan. Upon his return, I reached out to arrange a breakfast meeting. I’m a little bit of a Bible geek, so I wanted to see all of his pictures. We scheduled an early morning meet-up at the local greasy spoon. If you’ve ever lived in a small town you can already picture the setting.

Hole in the wall joint with amazing food. The regulars — retirees & farmers — sitting in their usual spots. The waitress with colorful language & big heart who knows everybody by name but only calls you by the nickname she’s assigned you. The odor of grease & coffee you become “nose blind” to but all your co-workers smell on your clothes the rest of the day.

As we sat down in the restaurant, I immediately noticed my friend didn’t have any pictures in his possession. No hard copies or a photo album or even a laptop to view digital images. Interesting. We made small talk while the waitress took our orders and then he immediately began asking about my experience with backpacking and running and other such adventures. After an inordinate amount of time answering his questions about my physical endurance, I finally took control of the conversation and asked to see his pictures. To say I was shocked at his response is an under-statement.

“I’m not going to show you any pictures. You need to go and see it for yourself.”

WHAT?!? I’m never going to get the chance to go to Israel!!! The closest I’ll ever get is seeing your pictures!! I woke up early this morning because I wanted to live vicariously through you!

My friend was adept at reading body language and could tell I was frustrated by his response. He quickly intervened with an unexpected invitation and an offer to help make the impossible become possible. One year later, I found myself standing in that long line of fellow travelers at O’Hare. I was on my way to walk where Jesus walked.

We spent the next sixteen days hiking in the desert sun. We hiked to the peaks of mountains and to the depths of valleys. We explored archeological sites & historic cities. It was an unbelievable opportunity to study Scripture where these historic moments actually took place.

I’ve never been the same since.

Have you ever had a friend or family member extend an invitation to come and see a part of the world you’ve only seen in pictures? Have you ever been invited to participate in something unbelievable? I’m humbled as I think back on the invitations I’ve received and accepted…

Hiking up a 14,000 foot mountain in Colorado. Whitewater rafting one of the premier rivers in the United States. Digging wells for villages in Dominican Republic. Worshiping Jesus with international Youth Workers in Honduras. Standing on the precipice of the Grand Canyon. Building homes for the poor in Guatemala. Performing a wedding in the hills of South Dakota. Showing love to hurting children in Peru. Swimming with piranhas in the Amazon. Bicycling 350 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC.

Just a week ago I received an invitation to travel to Spain. I’ll have to let you know how that one turns out.

Come and see. Come and see something amazing. Come and see something heart-breaking. Come and see something life-changing. It’s an invitation to learn…to grow…to be forever changed. Come and see.

As a pastor, I have endless opportunities to hear stories of people who accepted an invitation to the unexpected.

“Would you be interested in going to Peru with a group of students? We need another male leader.” This invitation led to a life-changing trip for a 20-something adult whose passion for helping others grew exponentially because of the poverty he witnessed and the team dynamics he experienced. He’s returning for a second trip next year.

“Would you be interested in starting a resale store that redistributes profits back into our community?” This invitation led to a couple discovering a new vision for their retirement. It also led to an army of volunteers rallying behind this couple and hundreds of thousands of dollars being given back to the community.

“Would you be interested in a position as a youth pastor at our church?” This invitation led to a young man who would become an influential voice in the lives of local teenagers — my own teenage son included.

“Would you be interested in helping identify & plan local community service projects?” This invitation eventually led to a local business executive forming a partnership with a non-profit organization that works with at-risk kids. He quickly rallied a number of other business executives to his new-found cause, and they have since launched a trade school to teach motorcycle & car repair to inner-city kids. These kids are receiving an invitation of their own: to discover passions & abilities they didn’t know they had.

Come and see. Every one of these stories is the story of an invitation to discover a new purpose in life. A new calling. A change in direction. A deeper understanding of the world and what God may want to do in us & through us.

Jesus once extended an invitation for two young men to follow him…

The following day John [the Baptist] was again standing with two of his disciples. As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and declared, “Look! There is the Lamb of God!” When John’s two disciples heard this, they followed Jesus. Jesus looked around and saw them following. “What do you want?” he asked them. They replied, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” “Come and see,” he said. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day. (John 1:35–39)

Come and see. This invitation from Jesus became a turning point for these men. One of them named Andrew would go on to witness first-hand some of the most amazing moments in Jesus’ life. In one sense, Andrew adopted “come and see” as his personal mantra. When people would come to him with questions, he knew that he didn’t have all of the answers. He just knew Jesus.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John — but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”). (John 1:40–42)

Come and see. This invitation from Andrew led to Peter becoming one of the most influential leaders in the early church. Jesus would eventually transform this impetuous, out-spoken young man into a pillar of faith who would go on to lead thousands of people to Jesus — sometimes even in a single day (read Acts 2:14–41). Andrew’s invitations didn’t stop with his brother, though.

After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him. (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration.) Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, “Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?” He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, “Even if we worked for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” Then Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up. “There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?” (John 6:1–11)

Come and see. Andrew’s invitation for a young boy to donate his lunch led to thousands of hungry people reclining on the grass with stomachs full and eyes wide as they took in the miracle that just occurred. It also led the disciples to a deeper level of faith & trust in Jesus. And I can only imagine the story this young boy told his parents when he got home!

Some Greeks who had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration paid a visit to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, “Sir, we want to meet Jesus.” Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus. (John 12:20–22)

Philip was uncertain of what to do with this request from these foreigners. Maybe the uncertainty stemmed from a cultural divide. Maybe he simply wasn’t sure if Jesus had time for these strangers. Philip’s uncertainty found a solution in Andrew’s simple response.

Come and see.

Have you ever received an invitation to come and see something amazing? Something heart-breaking? Something life-changing? If we look & listen hard enough, we will discover that invitations are being offered more frequently than we realize. It’s up to us to hear & respond. It’s also up to us to create margin in our lives in order to accept these life-changing invitations.

And if you are really fortunate, you may find yourself with the opportunity to extend an invitation to a friend or family member to experience a life-changing moment alongside of you.

I would be remiss if I closed without giving you something else to consider. Jesus is still extending the same invitation — to come and see. His invitation is deeply personal and is an opportunity to discover the simple but profound faith that often evades so many.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” (Matthew 11:28–30)

Come and see.