End Of The Line

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matt 7:13-14)

I was not the perfect child growing up nor was I a particularly bad kid good growing up, either. I liked to climb trees; ride bike; go for walks; build forts... My parents had strict boundaries set for us and when we crossed them, my father would let us know. He'd say: "You've reached the end of the line, sister." I knew someone was in big trouble when I heard that!

My husband, for what reason I am still trying to fathom, like to watch the television show "The Walking Dead." In one of the seasons (maybe more seasons than that) they are all of the living are trying to get to a place called Terminus." I could not figure out why anyone would think that a place named Terminus would be a good place to go. It turned out that it was not. Terminus means the end of the line. It means the final point in time or space. So why would anyone go there?

But, then again some people want to do a lot of things that I can't quite fathom why they would do them. They want to get blitzed! Why? Blitzed means to be attacked and defeated. How about getting stoned? Why would anyone want to get stoned? In biblical times getting stoned was not a good thing. It also meant the end of the line. It meant death. Getting wasted also doesn't sound like something to look forward to on a Saturday night. It means physically or psychologically exhausted; debilitated. Again, near the end of the line.

So why would anyone follow a path that leads only to the end of the line; to destruction? The road that leads to life can be tough. There are a lot of challenges; a lot of temptations to overcome. But, I'm thinking a tough road to eternal life is better than an easy one that leads to eternal destruction.

Years ago, I had taken some young men from a correctional facility hiking to see a beautiful waterfalls. About half a mile in, I realized that they were very nervous. I asked them why. It turned out that they feared that we might be lost and would be attacked by some wild animal or maybe come to the end of the line by falling off a cliff. They were from Detroit and although very street wise; they could not see the path that we were following in the wilderness. Someone has to show the way to those who cannot see the path. Someone has to show them the path and the way in which they should go. That is what Christians are called to do. Will we show them the way?

May God help us to choose wisely the path that we will follow and guide others on the way.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Don't Get Lost; Follow In The Way!

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14:1-6 NIV)

Years ago, I took three teens from the correctional facility I was working at on a hike to see a waterfalls as a reward for the progress they were making. They were all from inner city Detroit and had never seen a waterfalls. They had never actually been hiking in a real woods, either. We took the well worn path with the tourists down to the bottom of the falls. But, instead of going back up the same way I decided to take the little footbridge across the river and climb the rocky hill through the woods on the other side to get back up to the parking area.  The young men started acting a little nervous. Finally, one of them asked me where the path was and how I could know the way through the woods. I guess, they had begun to think that maybe we were lost in the woods forever. I told them not to worry the path was there. Just because they couldn't see it, I could, as I'd been traveling this way since I was a little girl.

Thomas asked Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life."  Jesus is the way to our Father's house.  He is the path we are to follow. In order to follow that path, we must get to know Jesus. Yes, about him; but, we must also get to know him personally. When we've just begun to follow him in and into the kingdom there may be times that we get a little lost because we don't know the way as well as we could or should. But, as time goes on and we get to know him more and more each day, each year, there will come a time when we will know the way even if our eyes were blindfolded. Knowing the way so intimately comes with traveling the path day by day. It comes with walking with Jesus every minute of every hour. It comes by learning about him; by hearing about him at Worship or wherever we may be; by reading and studying about him alone or in Bible Study groups. Knowing him intimately comes by staying in communication with him; by speaking with him in prayer and by listening to him in the silence of our prayer spaces. We come to know the way to our Father's house intimately by seeking to follow in the way of Jesus. And, in order to follow him, we must know and trust him.

If we are not prepared to follow in the way, how can we profess to be Christians? How can we witness to others? Who would believe that we are Christians if we have no knowledge of the way in which we should be going? If we're busy leading others off on other paths they will certainly recognize that we are not truly followers of Jesus. If we know Jesus and not just about him; we will know the way. We will not get lost because we will follow in the way that he leads us.

Jesus said that he was the way and the truth and the life – no one could go to the Father except through him. So if he is the way then those of us who profess to be Christians ought to be following in the way that he would have us go.  May God grant us the wisdom to stay on the path.

God's Peace - Pr. J