|
During worship on Sunday we considered change. The journey of our faith is packed with it, not least because we’re promised something closer to adventure than a particular destination. When Jesus’ disciples, devastated and overwhelmed, asked for the destination to meet him, he told them: if you know me, you know how to get there. “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14.6a). Cool, Jesus. Cool. But… where? We’ve got GPS now. Could you just tell us where and we’ll make our own way? I wonder how often I’ve been oblivious of a journey, how much I’ve missed, relying entirely on Google Maps to tell me when and where to turn? Or how often I’ve presumed to know the destination or the goal, and found a way there that didn’t look a lot like Jesus? Maybe the only thing harder than change is not knowing precisely where we’re headed. But we have been taught the way. I share that again not to rehash Sunday, but because I continue to struggle with it. I know it’s true, and I know it’s not easy. As I’ve wrestled this week, a poem came to mind, and I offer it here for our consideration. e e cummings is a favorite poet of mine, and this poem – “let it go – the" – is one that speaks to me. let it go – the
smashed word broken
open vow or
the oath cracked length
wise – let it go it
was sworn to
go let them go – the
truthful liars and
the false fair friends
and the boths and
neithers – you must let them go they
were born
to go let all go – the
big small middling
tall bigger really
the biggest and all
things – let all go
dear so comes love
I’m no poetry connoisseur, but that last line hits so hard. It’s surprising, and yet promising. Just when I think cummings might be suggesting I can go full introverted hermit, just when I think “yeah, I can do this alone!”, he reminds us that letting go brings us to love. That many things we believe we need, things we don’t want to let go of, are in the way. In the way of love, of richer relationships, of abundant life. Are in the way of the way. As we face an unknown destination, I pray we can seek the way, the truth, and the life that is Jesus. Or, as one more titan of literature, Flannery O’Connor, prayed in her journal, “I do not know you God because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside.” Amen. Rev. Ben Richards
|
