In the gospel of John chapter one, Jesus told Nathanael when he asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

I saw you.

Those last three words of that exchange developed an immediate faith response in Nathanael, in which he acknowledged Jesus is the Son of God.

I saw you.

So powerful, those three words. How much those words work to fill a deep crevasse in our hearts.

I saw you.

The lover. The new kid. The outcast. The widow. Those who are lonely. The addict. The new employee at your company. The new neighbor on your block. The struggling teenager.

I saw you.

How it is that we long to be seen. It is the simplest form of an exchange of humanity is to make eye contact with another person. Being seen connects us. It begins to heal us and creates a sense that we matter. We can be purposeful and valuable. We all long for significance and to be significant.

One great work we can all do is to see people. Make eye contact. Extend a greeting. Turn your body and face the one to which you speak. Give your full attention. Be present. Be still and listen. It’s so powerful.

I saw you.

Being seen was enough to attract Nathanael to Jesus. Model this to attract others to you and ultimately to Jesus, as they sense they are seen by you.

I saw you.

So simple. So powerful. So humane. So loving. So needed.