Come and See
Table Talk
Setting the Table
Welcome. There is room for you here. Come carrying whatever this day has placed in your hands—joy or weariness, hope or heaviness, clarity or uncertainty. Take a few slow breaths. Set aside what can wait. Allow this moment to hold you as you are, without expectation or hurry.
Consider that a blank page does not signify absence, but the quiet promise of what is to come.
Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.
– James Baldwin
We do not think ourselves into new ways of living; we live ourselves into new ways of thinking.
– Richard Rohr
John 1.38-39
When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day.
Food for Thought
For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by the start of the school year. My excitement was never about a new classroom, meeting new friends, or transitioning from one stage to the next. It was always about the fresh, first page of my notebook. There it was—blank, clean, full of possibility. It had not yet been marked by ink, careless scribbles, or misguided attempts at math problems. It represented a fresh start, and I was captivated by what might be written there.
Later in life, I encountered Walt Whitman’s "O Me! O Life!" and suddenly my childhood fascination made sense. The poem’s final lines read: “That you are here—that life exists and identity, that the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse.”
The idea that I had a verse to write in the great play of life made me think. What kind of verse have I written so far? How has it shaped the world around me? What has inspired it—my family, my community, my faith? And what kind of verse do I want to write moving forward?
When some of John’s disciples meet Jesus and ask him, “Where are you staying?,” it is not simply a question of physical address, but it is also a question of spiritual dwelling. They are not actually focused on tents, or guest houses. They are asking something much deeper: Where do you abide? Where can we find you? Where can we go to be in your presence and receive what you have to offer? Where can we encounter the living God?
And Jesus responds with a simple invitation: Come and see.
If you want to know the Word made flesh, come and see. If you want to know what love looks like, come and see. If you want to experience God’s goodness—to be fed with bread that never perishes, to have your thirst quenched with living water, to be made new from the inside out—come and see. If you want to abide in love, walk in the light, know the way, the truth, and the life, and catch a glimpse of a world more hopeful than the one we see around us—come and see. Follow me!
Jesus is not offering a lecture. He is offering an experience—one with the power to transform lives and reshape the world. It is an experience that can form people rooted in love rather than fear, compassion rather than hate. Following Jesus or living in love in this way, is not a one-time decision; it is a choice we make again and again, day after day. It comes with consequences and costs, but it is a choice we are all invited to make.
There is a deep hunger for authentic faith all around us, and a yearning for something better—for a way of being that assures us this world is not beyond repair. How do we spark transformation? How do we resist injustice and choose love? How do we build a society that honors the dignity of every person? How do we become bearers of truth and agents of hope?
No time is better than now to live into this calling. It is time to move off the sidelines and into the messy, beautiful work of discipleship. It is time to risk comfort for the sake of love, to discover a new way of being human in this broken world. Following Jesus means choosing justice for the vulnerable, freedom for the captive, and dignity for those pushed to the margins—even when it costs us relationships, approval, or comfort.
Imagine this moment as a fresh beginning—a blank page in a new notebook. You are searching for purpose and belonging. You know you cannot walk this road alone. You sense that the world cannot continue as it is, and that something must change. And suddenly you realize: you have a role to play. You have a verse to write. What will it be?
Take a blank page and write one sentence that feels like the “verse” you want your life to write in this season. Your verse does not have to be grand or polished; it can be simple, faithful, and honest. Place that sentence somewhere you will see it—a journal, your nightstand, your dashboard. Each day, pause and ask: How might I live into this verse today?
Allow “Come and See” to be an invitation to attention. This week, pay close attention to moments that invite your presence—conversations you rush past, people you overlook, emotions you try to avoid. When you notice a moment like this, choose to linger a little longer.
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
God of Love,
Help us to see this day as a blank page, full of possibility. Soften our hearts to the stirrings of hope and love within us. Lead us to meet Jesus in the people around us and in the quiet spaces of our life. And give us the courage to follow in the ways that bring justice, mercy, and love.
Amen.
A little Table Talk for your table...
When you think about your own “verse” in the story of life, what comes to mind? What themes, values, or actions feel most important to include?
How does the idea of following Jesus as a daily, repeated choice shape the way you understand discipleship?
As you begin this New Year, what practices do you want to incorporate into your rhythm of life that spark a new beginning for you?
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Talk together with the kiddos about what excites them about new things. What is one new thing they would like to try, learn, or do in the days ahead?
Ask the kiddos if they have noticed Jesus or God in their day—at home, at school, or with friends?
Make a list of the ways they can help make the world around them a little brighter or more loving.
Meet This WEek’s Writer...
James Blay is the former Vice President of Administration at the Liberia Baptist Theological Seminary. He now serves as the Coordinator for Children’s Programs with Passport Camps. James and his wife, Allison, enjoy spending their days with their sweet son, Elliot James, and their energetic pup, Benny!
To hear more from James throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!