It was our first Independence Day in Birmingham. The day had been busy and fun so we thought we would top it off with a low key observation of fireworks. We had heard that they did a great show from Vulcan Park called "Thunder on the Mountain." We left home about thirty minutes early thinking we would go to a building top, but noticed almost immediately that traffic was creeping along like rush hour going in the wrong direction. Miles before our destination, traffic was almost completely stopped and people were pulling over to the median and the side of the road. We managed to find a place to park just in time to hear the police come by with a loud speaker telling people they were not allowed to park
in the street. This was a bigger deal than we knew.
In the end, "Thunder on the Mountain" was great. We had gotten as close as we could and got to see the fireworks leap into the sky. Someone turned up the accompanying music on their car radio and it seemed all of us on the highway listened in silence. It was a peaceful moment we shared with a multitude of strangers. A nice surprise, a sweet memory and so much more than we expected.
Just as we casually went to see the fireworks, Zacchaeus, in Luke 19, went to see Jesus. He climbed up a tree to get as close as he could and he saw Jesus. He saw Jesus walk through the crowd and go directly to him. It was a bigger deal than he could have known and his life was forever changed. Jesus Christ is a big deal - the biggest!
The good news is this: If you are only casually looking for Jesus or if you are looking for Jesus only out of curiosity, Jesus is looking for you! Get as close as you can. He is already there!
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
James 4:8a
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