So often I see the story of Jesus, images/beauty that point to him through out the city. Yesterday I walked down 4 flights of stairs, crossed the street, unlocked my bike and began to ride. As I rode through Vondelpark I saw many of these little sculptures of a hand pointing with the index finger up to the sky (they're all over town.. and I really want to figure out what they are supposed to represent.... I know what they mean to me!)... and there are also little birds (that remind me of the peace dove) that are often painted on shops in certain areas of town. Images like these fascinate me and always remind me to look up, look around, and take notice of Jesus who is here in this beautiful complex growing city which often despite popular belief is speaking the name of Jesus, albeit quietly sometimes, but we are invited to take notice. 

But I don't usually notice, I often ride by sign after sign, sculptures, pictures, and words without even thinking. .. and then sometimes I get cynical and think where are you Jesus? Where are you here? And that's when I feel him tap me on the shoulder and say, hey, I'm here you just need to open your eyes and I have little reminders everywhere. 

I even saw Him in class a few days ago as one of my friends, from Ethiopia put his hand on my other friend A's arm, a sweet guy from Turkey, and they just sat like that as we played a nederlands language learning game. I teared up because I saw Jesus in that moment (they had no idea I was watching them)... it was beauty embodied in a picture of friendship and an aspect of the middle eastern culture that I often want to bottle up and get drunk on. It's Jesus. It's his story and also it's how I think God invites us to relate to him, as a dear friend would who has no fear of boundaries or what you should do or don't do. You just are and you are invited to just be.