The Beautiful Struggle - the Way

Follow Me. . .

I know  

the Way

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”  Jesus

In the early days disciples of Jesus were called people of the Way.

They might as well have been people “on” the Way.

Followers of Jesus are going somewhere.

What’s our destination?  Heaven?  The kingdom of God?  

Yes, I suppose . . . but is that it?

Some of my bitterest conflicts have arisen from my suggestion 

that what we’re doing “along” the Way 

may be more important than the destination.

The means justify the ends.  Not the other way around.

If we’re so focused on the kingdom of heaven “in the sweet bye and bye,”

I fear we miss it right here.

Jesus said, “the kingdom is among you.”  

“Those who have eyes to see . . . and ears to hear.”

Pay attention.

Be mobile, on the move.  The word “church” should be a verb.

Not a noun.

We are following.  We are on the Way.

Jesus had a cousin whose name was John.  

John had followers, too.  

John sent them to Jesus and they asked, 

“Are you the One who is to come, or should we look for another?”

Jesus said to them,
“Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.”

Now, what do you think we ought to be doing along the Way?

The Beautiful Struggle - the journey

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  Philippians 1:21

The end doesn’t matter, so much - 

at least if you’re talking about heaven.

Paul is right about the first part,

but I disagree about the second.

I’m not concerned about heaven,

tho’ some make it the center of their faith.

Maybe we can trust God with the after-life

and just get on with this one.

(As my father said, “If the streets are paved with gold,

I’ll be disappointed.”)

So, it’s about the journey more than the destination,

you’ve heard that before.

But what’s the journey about?

Paying attention.

Smelling the roses.

Kindness.

Faith, hope, and love.

The journey is a test, as someone said,

and the answer to every life test that you’ll ever face 

            is the same - 

                                      Christlikeness.

 

For me, to live is Christ.

 

Joe E. Lewis said,

“You only live once, but if you work it right, 

    once is enough.”

 

                                                        Cape Canaveral National Seashore Road

 

The Beautiful Struggle - the start

Every day is a tooth-and-nail fight to live the life I was baptized into -                      

this strange and peculiar calling of the baptized to see the world and people in a new way, as both helplessly lost and beautifully gifted all at once.  To look at the tragic violence of life without despair, and to embrace the joy without sentimentality, knowing that most happiness is transitory and every life, no matter how blessed is marked by suffering, and yet to call it all good.

                                    Virginia Creeper Trail