Who found whom?

The "finding Jesus" concept rings fresh in our Presbyterian ears in light of the recent petition from some seminary leadership to reemphasize "adoption" in our version of the Heidelberg Confession. Their words were: "Specifically, it (the current PC [USA] translation) distorts Reformed accounts of God’s covenant (4.019, 4.074) and of redemption and eschatology (4.055) and obscures the Reformed teaching of our adoption in Christ (4.033)."

Do we choose to be God's children - and live our lives as such because we said we would - or is our faithfulness an irresistible response to God's grace? Could we refuse to allow God to find us? Could we know that God found us and not find that remarkable?

Lieutenant Dan asked Forrest Gump why people persisted in asking if he had "found" Jesus, only later to experience for himself God's power in the storm and find some personal peace as a result. Encountering God's magnificence may, at times, come as a result of our choice to engage God in conversation.

Could it be a both/and?

We cannot gain God's grace by our own good merit or effort because God's grace predates us - we were claimed by God before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1). So it seems that God's action absolves us of the "finding" responsibility, and, theoretically, should launch us into a pretty heartfelt quest to find out more about the One who found us worthy to be made, named and claimed in the first place.

Oh yes, and recognize that others are equally claimed and named.