Thus says the Lord:
"Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is;
and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls"
Jeremiah 6:16
Each time another January comes along, we have an opportunity to pause, to see where we have been on this road we call life, to notice how far we have come, to ponder and even dream about the road not yet walked.
The road as an image of the spiritual journey is found often in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures:
- The road of faith that Sarah and Abraham traveled, trusting that even in their old age God still had some marvelous surprises in store for them (Genesis 12:1-9)
- The road through the wilderness as the Exodus people wandered their way to the Promised Land, God's presence never failing them (Exodus 13:17-22)
- The dusty road to Bethlehem, so much new life waiting to be born (Luke 2:1-20)
- The star-marked road of the Wise Ones, a road that could only be traveled in darkness (Matthew 2:1-12)
- The desert road where Jesus met his own struggles and came back empowered by the Spirit within him (Luke 4:1-5)
- The road of the prodigal son, too tired and hungry to do anything except return to the one place where he had always known love (Luke 15:11-32)
- The road to Gethsemane, with its torment and agony (Luke 22:39-46)
- The road to the empty tomb, where surprise awaited (Luke 24:1-12)
- The road to Emmaus, travelled by two sad and discouraged disciples who were transformed by an unexpected encounter (Luke 24:13-35)
Even though we may not have traveled physically this past year; our hearts have been travelling much. Taking time to reflect on where we have been often leads us to ask what have I learned about myself, about life, about God? What do I now long to let go of? What will assist me as I move forward? Take some time to listen deeply - to what Life is trying to teach you.
For Reflection:
Looking back on 2020-what name do you give this road?
Considering the new year 2021-what name do you give to this road?
What attitudes, behaviors, old ways of thinking will you leave behind?
What did you learn in 2020 that you want to carry forward into 2021?
