Let the call lead.
Let the call lead.
The tale of Jesus calling Matthew is short: “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him ‘Follow me.’ And [Matthew] got up and followed.”
The called in this case, Matthew, is someone we might imagine (as Caravaggio does in the picture you see with this post) sitting at his tax collector’s table donning the day’s finest draping—surrounded by coins collected and communing with characters attracted to the shimmer. Then Jesus steps from the shadows to summon Matthew.
“And he got up and followed.” The Greek root of “got up” is anastas, which also underlies the word resurrection (anastasis). The implication being that Matthew’s decision to get up is a kind of rebirth, involving a phoenix-like transition from a lower form to a higher one. From a world-driven life to a divine-driven one.
This idea, that going where led will fill you with life, is not exclusively Christian. The Greeks had the “daimon.” Romans, the Muse. And eastern traditions, the genie. Each representing the spirit inside that invites us toward actualization.
But the world has a way of convincing us to ignore that pull. When the beckoning hand reaches to take ours, we, unlike Matthew, sheepishly shake our head and say “not yet.” When the Muse tugs us, we hold up a finger as if to say “just a second.” Yet with each deferral, our withering soul weeps.
That was me a few years ago. Until heartbreak put the pen back in my hand. I crawled toward the call 10 minutes of writing a day. And that became the catalyst for a cascade of beauty.
As writing became podcasting became gym owner became Texan (and soon to be unknown author), I experienced myself come back alive—a rebirth resulting from following.
Which leads me to my biggest leap yet: leaving my law firm on Tuesday. As a lawyer not trained to trust, it’s been a process to get here. But choosing to trust that if I follow the call, the rest will take care of itself, feels a lot like healing.
As Matthew puts it: “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all [you need to thrive] will be added unto you.”
I’m not telling you to quit your job, but I AM asking you to feed your flame.