Jury duty. Those two words stir a variety of reactions. Most value a justice system which includes decisions made by a group of one’s peers. They just aren’t thrilled to be called to serve as one of those peers sitting in judgment.
Some chafe at the time spent sitting, often all day, waiting to see if their juror services will be needed. Others relish a day of reading a favorite book, catching up with letter writing or meeting new people.
I observed all these possibilities as I responded to a call to jury duty. I met interesting people as I relaxed in the central potential juror area with a mystery novel, which I hadn’t had time to finish reading in the last month.
Many conversations I overheard centered on what people could be doing if it didn’t take so much time to see if they were needed for jury duty.
As time went by and groups of potential jurors were called, the population of the waiting area shrank.
As the latest group to be called was led out of the central area, a man sitting next to me turned to me, “I wonder if we’re going to get called at all. You know, it’s not the time I mind. It’s just, I don’t know what I’d do if I ever actually got put on a jury.”
Thinking he was referring perhaps to time spent away from work and/or family, I began to respond with something like, “Yeah, it can take days,” but stopped when he shook his head “no.”
“No, it’s not the time I’d mind. Not at all. It’s just, well, It’s so hard to know what’s really true. I mean, they say different things. How do you decide for sure who’s telling the absolute truth, and which evidence is really reliable? Somebody’s life is on the line, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to tell which evidence was completely reliable.”
Listen to this conversation recorded in John 8:13-20: The Pharisees objected, “You are the only one speaking for yourself, and what you say isn’t true!”
Jesus replied, “Even if I do speak for myself, what I say is true! I know where I came from and where I am going. But you don’t know where I am from or where I am going. You judge in the same way that everyone else does, but I don’t judge anyone. If I did judge, I would judge fairly, because I would not be doing it alone. The Father who sent me is here with me. Your law requires two witnesses to prove that something is true. I am one of my witnesses, and the Father who sent me is the other one.”
“Where is your Father?” they asked.
“You don’t know me or my Father!” Jesus answered. “If you knew me, you would know my Father.”
Jesus said this while he was still teaching in the place where the temple treasures were stored. But no one arrested him, because his time had not yet come.
It wasn’t just the Pharisees who yearned for absolutely, 100 percent reliable evidence that Jesus was who He said he was. It wasn’t only the disciples who kept asking Jesus to demonstrate undeniably, absolutely reliable evidence of His Messiahship.
How often do we yearn for “reliable evidence” that Christ is present with us in the midst of our current struggles and triumphs,and everything in between? Prayers such as “God, please be with us,” or “Lord, come into this place,” demonstrate our yearning for reliable evidence of God’s presence.
God is present. In every situation and circumstance, in the midst of every company we keep. How would our life’s journey of faith and discipleship to Christ be made stronger and richer if we acknowledged the presence of the eternally reliable, loving and grace-filled God.
Perhaps we could begin our prayers in ways such as, “Lord, may we notice You,” or “Lord, we know You are here; open our eyes to experience You.”