What are ye wantin'

Scripture

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God!’ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, ‘What do you want?’
(John 1:35-38 NIV)

What ar ye wantin?

The Scots’ version of the question “what do you want?” sounds like a pirate doing the asking. But it is a question our inner pirate asks at different stages of life, and often at the gateway of a new year. What we want out of a year tells us a lot about ourselves – and yet not asking the question can deny us vision and pleasure.

Early in his ministry Jesus had a couple of future disciples scoping him out at a distance. “What do you want?” was his question as they made eye contact for the first time. It is a great question for us all – imagine Jesus asking us individually and perhaps as communities and organizations “What do you want?”

We can be reticent to answer him for any number of reasons.  I found a prayer that got me started the other day with the line “to relish the things that are yours, and communicate them to others”. To relish, revel in, admire and savour the “good” – love, mercy & justice. 

 A Prayer for Today

Grant me, O Lord, to see everything now with new eyes, 
to discern and test the spirits that help me read the signs of the times, 
to relish the things that are yours,
and to communicate them to others. 
Give me clarity of understanding …. for Jesus’ sake

(Personal Prayer of Pedro Arrupe, pg. 97 Hearts on Fire, Loyola Press)