May-June '09
Some journeys can be exciting but others can be frustrating. As I sat motionless in the middle lane of the M5 near Bristol on a Sunday afternoon recently, I wondered how long the delay was going to last and how I would pass the sheer boredom. Thankfully we were only held up for
about 45 minutes and the rolling hills of north Somerset - bathed in sunshine - made the experience more endurable, but it was interesting to study how other people passed the time. Some drivers got out of their vehicles and stood on tip-toe trying to see what lay ahead; others
fetched the flask from the boot. Some passengers read the weekend newspaper and others opened up their laptops.
We all find different ways to pass the time, especially when life seems to slow down and we want the clock to tick faster or the queue to disappear. As Christians we must never be led to believe that this life is just an untimely delay before we reach our heavenly home. God did not put us on this earth just to yawn our way to eternity. He has put each one of us here on earth for a purpose and reason, and as we journey through life we face many opportunities and challenges along the way.
In this season of Easter we thank God for the risen Christ. In Luke chapter 24, as two people journey to Emmaus, Jesus draws alongside them in a surprising and unexpected way and they begin to recognise His presence with them. Their downcast faces disappeared and they were filled with amazement.
Perhaps we need to keep watch for ways in which God will surprise us and reveal Himself to us in ways we did not expect or imagine.
After the celebrations of Easter, it can sometimes feel like there is a bit of a lull, or delay, before we reach Ascension and Pentecost. But Easter was never meant to be just a 24-hour celebration. It is the spring-board to living each day in the power of the risen Christ. It is a
time to venture onwards in our faith – a bit like an Olympic sprinter who lengthens their stride after hearing the gun and launches their body forwards from the starting blocks.
Recently I have been learning about Brendan the Navigator. He lived between 484–577AD and was an Irish monk. His
Christian faith led him to explore new territory and take the Gospel to new places. Alongside establishing numerous monasteries in Ireland, he was a great traveller and there is evidence to suggest that he may have preceded Christopher Columbus in reaching across the Atlantic Ocean by
several centuries. Brendan’s first attempt to sail to the ‘Promised Land’ was apparently unsuccessful, but he was not discouraged. He and his crew of monks prayed and fasted for forty days, and set off again in a tiny coracle (small boat) for a seven year voyage which probably took them to Iceland, Greenland and reputedly even American mainland.
Sometimes it is difficult to dis-entangle fact from legend in many ancient stories, but we can still take great inspiration from those who have adventurously set out in the confidence God gives them and put their faith in His divine providence into action.
Perhaps this is a time for you to venture onwards in your faith. It may feel slightly daunting to launch out into new territory but we can be assured that God will meet us along the way. It may mean different things for different people. A missionary doesn’t always have to be
someone who ‘crosses the sea’ but it does always involve ‘seeing the cross’ of Christ and desiring to share His sacrificial love and unconditional grace with a needy world.
It’s difficult to discover new territory until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. Where, and to whom, is the Holy Spirit taking you – and are you willing to set the sails and let God direct you where He wills?
God bless,
Andy
‘The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit’ (John ch 3 v 8)
