‘Go’ is a small word with potentially explosive results. It’s like the ripple effect of tossing a pebble in a lake.
Naaman was told by the prophet to go and wash in the Jordan River to be healed of leprosy. It seemed a silly, almost insulting, instruction but when Naaman came down off his high horse (literally and figuratively), and did what he was told, God miraculously healed him.
Moses repeatedly went in to Pharaoh with the request: ‘Let my people go.’ Pharaoh ummed and aahed and faffed about, and flatly refused. God sent increasingly nasty plagues until eventually the stubborn, arrogant king agreed to let God’s people go.
Ruth, whose story I’ve been reflecting on recently, showed intense loyalty and love to her mother-in-law when she declared: ‘Where you go, I will go….’ And thank God she did, because she is one of Jesus’ ancestors.
Jesus told the famous story of the Good Samaritan and encouraged His original listeners to ‘go and do likewise’ in terms of being a good neighbour.
Another famous statement of Jesus’ is the one He made shortly before going back to His Father, to ‘go and make disciples of all nations…’ It’s His heart’s desire that every Jesus-follower should so overflow with passionate love for Him that wherever we go, we will share the good news of God wanting a relationship with us and being willing and able to deal with all of our baggage.