“ ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.’ ”
Jesus, the Son of God, was present and active in the creation of all things great and small, including foxes and birds. Jesus describes the flowers in a similar way: “Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them.” I wonder if this brought Jesus quiet joy to recall all that he created and put those who heard him beside the foxes, the birds, and the flowers. For the sake of teaching the scribe and all humanity to serve God and proclaim his kingdom, Jesus drew on the example of creation and created things. It is as if Jesus says, “Don’t stress about what lies behind or ahead; I will provide for you today.” Follow me; don’t put it off.
Thank you, God, for the beauty in all of the creatures you created. Something as simple as birdsong reminds me that there is joy in existence, that it is a gift. If, during Adoration, I hear a robin sing through the walls of the chapel, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I heard time breaking into eternity. But I also heard eternity breaking into time, and for a moment couldn’t tell which was which. God, you are present; this much I know.
Today it might be helpful if I lower my expectations about how much I can wield and instead quiet down so that I can hear Jesus’ command “Follow me.”