A picture is worth a thousand words.

          I first noticed the rainbow. My son and I had landed in Eindhoven early in the morning. We had been travelling by taxi, bus, and train to get to Amersfoort. We had some time to kill waiting for a ride, so we decided to take a walk through the town. Neither of us had ever been to the Netherlands (still think hands down one of the greatest names for a country) before. Along the way, I saw the multi-colored bridge we needed to cross to get to the other side. This symbol is one of pride, openness, and deciding what is good in your own eyes. The only problem is that we as humans are not very good at deciding what is really good for us. 

          As we got closer, I saw a sticker of Jesus and a little lower another sticker says, “In the company of sinners”. I took out my phone to snap a picture wanting to meditate more on this image of the rainbow, Jesus, and Him being found in the company of sinners. While getting ready to take this picture Matúš said, “Dad do you see the church in the background?” I hadn’t even noticed it but there it was far in the distance. 

         Since then I have thought more about this image of the rainbow, Jesus, and his church far in the distance. I may be wrong but I feel Jesus would be very comfortable being there on the street sharing the good news of the Kingdom not concerned with the politics or his reputation. He would be more concerned with those who are lost and confused about what good and love really are. It’s just an image taken with a phone on a street in Amersfoort, but I think it’s worth thinking about. 

  And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him. And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:13-17