The Story and The Glory
Jesus is speaking to His followers, quietly but intensely. It is the Last Supper and He has waited until this moment to say to them something very important. “A new commandment I give you, love one another.” (John 13:34 NIV)
Silence... Nobody knows what to say or how to respond. Suddenly, Peter speaks, “Lord, where are you going?” Peter changes the subject. He does not know how to respond to what Jesus has just said. Thomas and Philip ask similar questions. As we do, much of the time, they wanted facts. They wanted things clearly defined. Yet, desire to have facts can be problematic when it comes to faith. That is because, at its heart, the Christian Faith is a mystery.
That is not to say the Christian faith is not based on certain facts and specific events, but these facts and events are surrounded by what can never be fully and neatly defined. The former Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey once said that, in the Christian faith, there is what is called “the Story and the Glory:” the former can be told to a child; the latter defeats the greatest human intellect.
As with those three disciples on that night long ago, we yearn for facts, clarity and answers that are easy to grasp. The Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Easter provides a helpful way for thinking about knowing Jesus. It speaks of knowing Jesus “truly” and “perfectly.” The language in the prayer refers not to factual knowledge, but to relational knowledge. It goes on to stress that “knowing” Jesus will lead us to follow in His steps. Herein lies the mystery: Following Jesus does not come after we have facts and information. The knowing comes in the following. As we follow Jesus, we come to know that He is the way, the truth and the life.
I want to follow Jesus. That is my heart’s desire. I pray it is for you as well. Let me invite you to join me on the journey. It can get lonely at times. We need each other so much more than we can imagine. As we walk together, let us “love one another as He has loved us.”
