Most of us will have experienced losing something that we have treasured. Sometimes we do not realise that we have lost it until we come to use it.
This ‘loss’ applies not only to physical items, but also to aspects of our spiritual life. For example, we may believe that silence and solitude are important for our spiritual well-being and yet we can allow tasks and activities to overtake us, until there is no time left for them. Furthermore we can become so accustomed to our pace of life, that we no longer notice that times of solitude have departed from our schedule.
In the Gospels there are accounts of lost ‘treasure’ being found. The woman who finds her coin, the shepherd who finds the lost sheep, the prodigal son returning to his father; there are also accounts of people searching for what they needed and Jesus ministering to them and restoring their health, sight, speech, and sanity. (March: The Hidden Treasure, in Joyce Rupp, Fresh Bread and other gifts of Spiritual Nourishment (Twentieth-Anniversary Edition) Ave Maria Press 2006)
As we reflect on our lives during this season of Lent let us consider what ‘treasure’ we may have lost from our interior lives and which spiritual disciplines we could use to help us find our lost ‘treasures’.
More recently, the activity of ‘treasure hunting’ has been developed and used by some churches, as a way of showing God’s love and healing in the community, (outside of the church building) and predominantly with those who have not yet encountered Jesus. It is a form of evangelism, in which believers go out into the community to find and bless, the people God has prepared for them to meet, through words of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12:8).
Kevin Dedmon’s book, describes how to conduct treasure hunts and has many amazing examples of how God touched people through ‘treasure hunts’, (The Ultimate Treasure Hunt ,Destiny Image 2007.) and the film Father of Lights by Darren Wilson, also shows examples from around the world (Father of Lights Wanderlust Productions 2012).
You may like to look into this further, through these resources, and then go on a ‘treasure hunt’ with some friends.