Sometimes it’s hard to get off the porch. No matter how well we’ve prepared for a trip, whether to Europe or to the grocery, one or both of us have to go back in the house. I’ve forgotten my hat. She needs a sweater. Who HAS the car keys? I’m always relieved as we roll down the driveway: at last, we’re on our way! Scriptures that many of us will hear this weekend address our spirit-journeys, from false starts to setting our face to the goal.
The story from Kings (II,2:1-14) remembers the Fiery Chariot that swung low to carry Elijah home. We read that “Elijah & Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.” And there follows a good bit of narrative about Elisha’s constancy, even though they both knew that Elijah was going past the holy border of the Jordan to die. But they plodded on, faithful friends to the end. Elisha had earlier been summoned from his field by Elijah to serve Yahweh–and he sacrificed his oxen to seal the break from his old routine. Now, despite the death of his mentor, he picked up the mantle of Life and carried on. Back into the “territory of God” to continue the confrontation with idolatry.
Paul writes to the churches of Galatia about staying free. Organizational arguments about circumcision, forms of baptism, celibacy and eating rules threatened to enslave them again. “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (5:1) Most Christians agree together about central doctrines; it’s the diddly stuff that keeps us on the porch, unable to embark successfully. After listing the “works of the flesh”, he encourages us to travel with the “fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control….If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” (5:22ff)
Richard J. Shaffer, Jr., commenting on Luke 9:51-62, says, “There comes a time in each one’s journey when it is necessary clearly and unequivocally to declare the depth of that commitment….In order to have true meaning and integrity, it must be our identity; we must recognize and live it in every part of our being.” (FEASTING on the WORD, C 3:190-192) “When the days drew near for [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” He knew. He went with a singleness of purpose. And we read about three conversations–remember the temptations in the Wilderness?–with folks who were “ready”, yet had excuses. The Road had few creature comforts and no home base. Duties to aging parents keeps us local. Family has priority. Some say Jesus was too rough in his answers…or was he merely insisting that we choose? Say, this is hard!
In the last century I read Tom Oden’s fine book, “On the Way to the Future”. One of the recurrent lessons he put forth is that “Choice Demands Negation”. You can’t be in Boston if you’ve chosen to go to Denver. You can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Our commitment to one person necessarily excludes other lovers. Most of us don’t want to talk about our Final Scene: Bryant Hudson lifted up the obituary which said that the person “died unexpectedly”…really?? On our way there, how shall we live?
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My thoughts about lectionary passages for the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this space on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com
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So many people, including myself, rush to get there and realize they have forgotten something. Not driving has helped that as well as living with my dad. He is always asking do you have your this or that. I’m always ready to go. I have to learn to plan and make sure that I’m truly ready, or do I even need to go at all. Thank you Lord for opening my eyes to the need to take my time with my decisions, and ask for help when I need it.