About a decade ago, the Irish folk band Mumford and Sons released a song called “Hopeless Wanderer” –
The general message indicates that the journey of the singer is not about escaping a time of struggle (or hopelessness), or of denying the ordinary while constantly seeking the next great adventure.
Rather, the point is that the singer sees the moment as a journey.
He speaks of each moment as an opportunity to fall in love with the surroundings and people, claiming “I will learn to love the skies I’m under”.
What a wonderful message, to endeavour to be fully present in the moment – seeing exactly what and who are there, not focused on the past or looking solely to the future.
And – here’s the hard part – the singer is suggesting that EVERY moment is THE moment to be savoured.
So no matter what happened last night, today is a time to celebrate being in the here and now.
No matter what the plans are for tomorrow, today is something to be held up and enjoyed.
This message of that song is no that different from the message of the Gospel today. The road to Emmaus. Again, it’s a well-loved piece of scripture, one that speaks to many of us.
It reminds us about the importance of living in the moment – in THIS moment – to the best of our ability. And that reminder comes to us from the disciples, who are not quite getting it at the time.
Because here they are, the disciples. The Christ followers. Headed to a new town, because the women at the tomb told them to go. They’re journeying, but they aren’t focused on the now.
They’re missing out on whatever is going on around them; oblivious to the scenery, to their own bodies, to the other people they encounter.
Even when they chat with Jesus who has appeared to them, they aren’t paying attention – they don’t recognise him.
So there they are, walking along. Trudging, likely. Tired, dusty, hungry, thirsty, a little depressed. Feeling both hopeless after the crucifixion, and almost uncertain if they dare to hope in the news of the Resurrection that has been shared with them.
It’s an emotionally charged time.
And into that, someone they don’t recognise comes alongside… they’re likely so distracted they couldn’t even say when or where he joined them ,… and asks them what they’re chatting about.
I would imagine my response would be one of confusion and hesitation…
yet here is Jesus, Inviting them to be more present, more observant, to what is actually happening.
But because they’re focused on the past, they don’t see the blessing in their midst. … so they go through the entire story for him. Is he the ONLY one who doesn’t know what’s happened. You can almost hear them, like a petulant child, telling the story.
And Jesus – never gives up. So rather than reveal himself directly, he continues his process of wanting his followers to discern, and learn.
he still wants his followers to see him as he accompanies them. As he reiterates to them everything they’ve heard, everything he’s taught them, everything about the scriptures being opened.
It’s a timeless act, as the scriptures always have relevance and meaning to the NOW moment. And still the disciples don’t see Jesus right there, they just see another man, journeying, as the end of the day nears.
And what patience Jesus demonstrates as their journey continues… waiting for them to see him; waiting for them to dwell in their faith, waiting for them to believe the Good News that the women have told them.
So he continues to journey with them, accepting their invitation of hospitality, blessing the food with the same words he’d used just a few days earlier at the last supper. Breaking and sharing the bread with them, in the exact same manner he had just a few days before.
Sharing not only communion, but community.
Can you imagine watching this – seeing Jesus give them every possible cue and clue as to who he is – and still his disciples did not understand.
They were overwhelmed and distracted, focused on the pain of the past and the confusion about the future. And so they missed the moment, the NOW, the very presence of the risen saviour.
They missed it. I can imagine we might do the same. We often overlook when grace is in front of us.
And then – they stopped being so focused on the past and future that they were able to be present in the NOW. Until they were able to truly LOOK and see what a great gift had been given them. Until the realized that their journey was significant because it was a journey, a collection of important moments.
And once they had clued in, once they had realized that they were meant to live in the NOW, Jesus ‘vanished from their sight’. They did some reflecting – which is a good thing – not to dwell on the past but to learn from it, to make the present even better.
And they realized that Christ’s presence had been to encourage them to focus on the here and now, to celebrate those moments, to find the extraordinary in the ordinary.
To delight in the gift of the now instead of being disappointed by the past or trapped by the potential future.
To use the gift of the now as an opportunity for ministry, for loving one another, for sharing the Good News of God.
And, with renewed energy, they repent and return… to Jerusalem; making that 7 mile return journey in the dark, because they have now truly seen.
While it’s a powerful message for those few disciples then, it’s just as relevant for us as disciples today. We get caught up in the same things – we get so busy, distracted, pensive, etc. that we miss the moment.
We miss the times when our journey becomes a bit easier because someone accompanies us.
We miss the people who want to journey with us but don’t feel they can engage with us.
We miss the people who would share faith with us, discussing faith or opening the scriptures, because we’re afraid we might offend if we talk faith.
We miss the people who would break bread with us, sharing in hospitality and nourishment, thereby dispelling loneliness and fear.
We can miss out because we are just like those disciples; thinking about ourselves, our experiences; spiritually distracted, trudging along the road, with our heads down.
Instead, Jesus encourages us to seek the blessings of the journey: to walk together in faith. Our faith journey is a celebration of the moment, responding to that call to “love the skies we’re under” – and to find Jesus there.
Wherever our roads take us, they can always lead us towards our own metaphorical Emmaus – that place of knowing Jesus as the Risen Lord whose promises are always sure.
The road on which our eyes will be opened to the companions along our way.
Where we’ll recognize the gifts of the people walking with us, even if it’s just for a short time. Where we’ll be enlightened by the opportunity to learn new things, to discuss what the scriptures mean, how our faith inspires.
Where we’ll receive the spiritual nourishment of joining together for the family meal, enjoying company with others and with God.
Where we’ll feel our hearts are burning within us, because we are in the presence of the risen and living God, who is constantly showing himself to us as we continue along our journey.
May our journey be joy-filled, may our eyes be open to the wonders of each and every moment, may we know the truth of the risen Christ as we encounter the world in front of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment