I saw Jesus on the train today. He had worked a long shift, his coveralls a patchwork of sweat and grime; yet he joked with a coworker in the adjacent seat. I saw Jesus awhile later, as the crowd filed onto the stairs to the street below—he was a young girl with two small children in tow, her nerves clearly frayed. And then, in the grocery store, there was Jesus again, a check-out clerk who smiled and wished me a good evening. The next time I saw him, he was stuck in traffic, his business suit rumpled and his eyes weary. And when I walked by my neighbor's house, Jesus sat on the front step, passing the time with a friend.
When Jesus came to share our human existence, he changed what it means to be ordinary people going through the day. Each one of us has a purpose and a place in the world. Each of us experiences pain, fatigue, humor, and hope. If we look more intently at the people we encounter on a typical day, we will see who they truly are—persons loved by God. Regardless of appearance or situation, the woman, man, or child before you is brimming with holy possibility. Consider that you are gazing into the eyes of God. Understand that Jesus comes to you in many faces and places.
This article is written by Vinita Hampton Wright, author of Days of Deepening Friendship