The Beginning- 7/22/09

And so it begins. I'm in a 6th-story hotel room in Newark, New Jersey surrounded by a half-eaten plate of spaghetti and chicken parmigiani. My journey to Israel starts here. Sorry to disappoint those of you who were expecting something a little more glamorous or "spiritually compelling". Just keepin' it real, and by the way, the parmigiani is a little crusty.

Have you ever found yourself in the day-to-day grind of life when all of a sudden a moment comes upon you that changes everything? I don't know what it is or why it is, but I sense that for me, this trip is a life-changing moment. A door of opportunity opens up, and now I'm walking through it. I was just minding my business and it happened . I sense the moment, so now what? The answer is, I don't know. By the way, it's alright to say those words. We'll find out the answer together.

As I sit in this hotel room, one burning desire fills my heart and floods my ears. To go back to the beginning, to know Jesus. I'm not talking "knowing" in the traditional Christian sense of salvation through the cross. I'm talking about knowing-knowing. Not who I thought Jesus was, who I think he should be, or how some pastor defines him. I'm talking about knowing him as he truly is. When Jesus walked through Israel, what was his burning desire? What was important to him, and what could he have cared less about? Who did he spend time with, where did he like to hang out, and why did he like to go to these places?

Tonight I was reading John Chaper 1. Verse 10 says, "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him." The context here is that even though Jesus made everyone and everything, many do not even recognize their own maker. Let me take that one step further. I'm saying this just doesn't only apply to non-Christians. I think there are many Christians who do not truly understand the real Jesus. I'm humble enough to say I'm probably one of them. Sometimes I wonder if Jesus isn't staring wide-eyed and saying "Now where did you ever get that idea about me?" My question to myself and to you is, who is the real Jesus?

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the false preconceived notions and spiritual-sounding cliches that are so often regurgitated. I just want to truly know the real J.C., the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Sometimes to revolutionize your thinking you need to go back to the beginning. So I'm going to Israel, where it all started. I want to know his heart, his vision, his spirit. Throw out all the man-made traditions and beliefs, and give me the one and only original. You don't know need to physically go with me, we'll take the trip together wherever you are. I'm sure there are many other discoveries that will come out of this experience, but this is my top priority. I'm so humbled and grateful for those of you who've been praying for me. Please continue to do so. I'll do my absolute best to keep this blog updated.