This week’s gospel lesson from the lectionary is the story of Nicodemus visiting Jesus at night to ask him a few questions.  Nicodemus acknowledges that Jesus is sent from God – they know this from the miracles Jesus has done and from the teaching he shares.  Yet Nicodemus and friends (who are not here with him) don’t quite get that Jesus IS God.  Jesus and Nicodemus speak of begin born of the spirit and this confuses Nicodemus.  Jesus tells him that belief in Christ leads to salvation and eternal life.  This passage contains the famous John 3:16.  “For God so loved the world…”  It also contains verse 17: “For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

Many people today have faith like Nicodemus.  They keep their faith pretty secretive, hidden or kept neatly tucked into Sunday morning  They prefer to keep their faith a private affair.  If others knew they went to church they might expect certain behaviors…  It’s just easier to keep their faith private.  Are you living an easy faith?

Others out there also have a curiosity like Nicodemus.  They see, hear, and catch glimpses of what true faith is all about.  They want to know more.  They will be in the lookout for you so that they can quiz you.  There are some questions they want to ask.  The question for us is:  will they recognize you?

Hopefully the answer to these two questions is ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – but which answer goes to which question?  May we choose to live boldly for our faith so that Jesus’ light shines into all of the dark places that we will walk by today.  And may we be attuned to the call of God, so that when someone whispers, “Hey, can I ask you a question?” from out of the shadows, we hear their voice and stop to talk with them.