I just experienced something in Sri Lanka I will never forget. I was in country for strategic meetings related to my work and burden to end the cycle of poverty. While visiting a feeding center, I saw the children eat their only meal of the day. After the meal was finished, with not a crumb of food left on the plates, each child went outside and began playing. I heard laughter, saw smiles, and realized something as simple as a meal can cause the sound of hope to rise. Something as simple………..yet, profound and much needed.

You may not relate to the impact one meal can have on someone’s life. Is there something else, seemingly simple, you can relate to? I find myself thinking about Jesus and the simple yet profound impact He has on our daily lives.  How did someone, who lived a few thousand years ago, long before the internet and modern technology, start a conversation that endures to this day?

A detailed study of the Gospels reveals Jesus never traveled more than approximately 100 miles from His hometown. Some scholars tell us He communicated on a sixth grade level and other say it was a third grade level. I am not intelligent enough to know. What I do understand is this: Jesus communicated in a language all could understand. Ironically, He communicated truth in such a simple way, the educated and religious elite could not comprehend. I am reminded the greatest misunderstandings are not always intellectual. At times, and quite often, they are spiritual.

Of the 125 unique teaching incidents recorded in the Gospels, 13 of them start with content and the rest start with questions. Questions aren’t necessarily what you expect from a God who comes in person to reveal truth to humanity. If you’re like me, you would expect answers, content, and a coherent belief system. The questions Jesus asked reveal He places a high level of importance on teaching people how to believe as much as He does what people believe.

One of the primary ways Jesus changed the entire world from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant isn’t by flying around the world but being present within a short distance of His hometown. He didn’t change the world by speaking deep, spiritual things; rather, He spoke life-changing truths in simple ways. Jesus learned the value of asking questions and questioning answers.

In your fast-paced world, let the simplicity of a child’s laugh regardless of their circumstance, or the simplicity of truth in yours, draw your attention to Jesus. And when this happens, let Him take your breath away.