"I See da Keeng!"

Last night I cooked and led devotion. For devotion I read a story from Tales of the Kingdom, a children's series that I grew up reading (and still re-read - I'll be honest). This particular story was entitled "Sighting Day."

In the story, the main character, a boy formerly known as Scarboy - now known as Hero, is struggling to believe in a King he cannot see. It is Sighting Day, a day where the children of Great Park play "seek-the-King." But Hero does not play games and he cannot figure out how to believe without seeing first - a necessary ingredient if one wishes to see the King. Hero is first inclined to believe in the King when his five year old brother, Little Child, speaks his first words: "I see da keeng!" Unbeknownst to him, Hero spends his entire day with the King - though he appears in various forms and disguises - and throughout the day the King is gently prodding his heart, searching for a way under Hero's defenses.

After nightfall, Hero accompanies Caretaker to Outcast Village, where the King will be ministering to those less-fortunate residents. When faced with a beggar when he expected a King, Hero is disappointed, but upon being challenged to look deeper - "to see with [his] brother's eyes" - Hero is finally able to see that the King has been beside him throughout the day.

Suddenly it all came together. Hero understood. This was the King. This beggar. This peasant. This athletic young man. Here was the one who had made his brother laugh, and had helped him speak. This was the one who had poured joy into Hero's heart and taught him that games were fun.

In light of my time at WorkFest, I found new meaning in this story. In the past I have focused more on the transformation that takes place within Hero - learning to believe in a King. But this time, I have been struck by the game: Seek the King. Looking back at the people I have met in the last month, I am impressed at how many of them have shown me the King. Perhaps they didn't even realize it, but these participants and these students were allowing Christ to peek through their skins and smile, share a laugh, pound a nail, saw a board, fix a meal...Christ has been all around me. All because these wonderful people were willing to let Christ shine. And I am blessed because of their willingness.

Yet I am more than blessed; I am challenged to keep playing the game. To keep seeking the King in all my daily interactions. To see Christ in my students, in my co-workers, in my housemates, in the strangers I meet...

And so the boy discovered that seek-the-King is a wonderful game. Like all games it must be played with a child's heart, which believes and is always prepared to be surprised, because a King can wear many disguises.

Happy Sighting.