Direction. Movement. Going. Turning. Life consists of steps. From our first steps as babies to the decisions we make, to the last steps we take on earth. Humans walk. Sometimes we lead and sometimes we follow. We choose a direction and we go there. We are travelers, nomads, movers. We dance. We run. We are on the move. We are not sedentary creatures, destined to a life of stillness and immobility. We see remarkable people who have lost their legs or their ability to walk, find new and creative ways to move, to run, to dance, to go forward. People have the power to decide and to act, to take the next step. For centuries, great minds have described the human experience as a journey. From the Odyssey of Homer to the Bible to "Star Trek", myths and stories abound about epic journeys.
The Bible is a story, not always consistent, that spans thousands of years of human experience. It is the story of a certain people and their GOD. Much of the story is told as a kind of epic journey. In the beginning God and humankind walk together in a garden paradise. Their harmony is disrupted by human error, greed, and violence. They are forced out of the garden to walk a hard path that includes suffering and death. From beginning to end, the people journey from place to place and time to time discovering and encountering God along the way.
But also goes with them. God chooses a man named Abram and tells him to go to a place set apart by God for him and his descendants. Abram goes. God will rescue Abram's descendants from slavery and deliver them to freedom after a long journey. God's people will be sent away from their homeland into exile,only to return home again.
And God sends His Son, Jesus of Nazareth to show us the way to a God-centered life. His journey from his home in Galilee ended on a cross outside of the city of Jerusalem. And yet, three days later he walked out of the tomb and into a locked room. He sends his followers to walk in his ways and to invite others to come along. I have been walking with him for almost forty years. I can tell you that it is a good road. Not always predictable or safe; but good.
Your journey began when you were baptized. God is lighting a path for you,directing you, guiding you, showing you the way. Together, we will discover God's ways and how to travel them. We will learn to navigate in dark and dangerous places. We will have to trust God and our fellow travelers to get there.
Here is a place where we can explore and ask questions.
Question 1: Name ONE place on earth you would really like to go and explore. Why. Please share in comments.
