His question made me pause. Not only was I thrown off by the depth of his question within minutes of meeting each other, but I was not prepared to be the one asked this type of question. When he asked to meet, I assumed I would be in the role of spiritual director offering questions to let him reflect on his own faith journey.
It was a challenging question, not because I had not reflected on it before, but because of how badly I needed to be reminded of the beginning of my journey: the early moments when my eyes were opened and my heart burned within me. The moments when I was drawn inexplicably to God by a restlessness and desire to learn more. The moments when I was almost giddy with joy as I became aware of God’s presence in my life.
As the coffee warmed my throat, I realized I saw in the young man the same inquisitive nature that I possess—the part of me that loves to hear people’s faith stories and the part of me that loves to hear when God got people’s attention. I could feel his question hitting me deep in my core, a nudge from God to remember where it all began.
I did my best to share my beginnings of encountering Christ, and then I eagerly listened to his story. It invigorated me tremendously both to share my own story and hear his.
As I got in my car, I continued to reflect. What I realized on the way home was how the majority of my ministry work the last three years was walking with those more often in a season of deepening than beginning. How quickly I had forgotten the joy of the first encounter with Christ!
The joy of the first encounter with Christ is unforgettable. It is the same joy that propelled the disciples forward to spread the Good News with fervor and urgency. It is the joy that propels me along my own faith journey. It is the same joy that draws people into a relationship with God every day.
It was in remembering my first encounters with the Risen Christ and in hearing the young man’s story that both my faith and my ministry work were invigorated.
Reflect on when you first encountered the Risen Christ. Then pose this question to people in your life and listen to their stories.