Journeying. Aka, "Going down the road".
I have been thinking about road trips lately because of the weather I encountered, going to and coming home from our annual gathering in Canmore with the Bishop this year. Highway 2 south to Red Deer was the usual winter's driving. Snowing and blowing snow across the highway. Then came the shift. Gridlock. On and off all the way to Calgary. Icy roads. Drivers not adjusting to the conditions. Wrecks in the ditches. And making it all worse was the rubbernecking. Every time we got to a patch where people wanted to look the traffic slowed greatly. Long lineups in several places. The interesting part was when I got to the Carstairs corners and found the snow-covered lane afforded better traction and therefore more speed. A pit stop for coffee and I was on the road to Canmore. Entirely different journey again.
Now there were bare and wet roads, snow laden trees and hoarfrost. Incredibly beautiful. The journey home was different again. I will save that for next week.
While at Canmore there were several more journeys. Some I had not foreseen. I was taken back in time. The BC Synod pastors were invited to join us. I got to see some of my colleagues that I have not seen for 20 years or more. Spent much time catching up with them. We also took time in groups to reflect on our Covid journeys as leaders. Each group had a branch and on it we put a Covid memento; a Covid photo and a brief reflection of what it meant to us. I heard Romans 8:26 loudly happening at this point. And, I left mightily encouraged. Again, more next week.
All of this got me thinking about Mark 1:12 and 13. Mark's gospel offers us the most terse description of this event amongst the gospels. It has deep meaning to the hearers for two reasons. First, it would remind them of the familial connection that Jesus and the Jewish people have to this particular region. 1 Samuel 21 and 22 should come to mind. And Jesus being connected to King David familially will underline this. Second, while this area is arid, in Jesus' day it has streams, fish, reptiles and larger mammals. It was not completely devoid of an ability to 'live off the land'. It was very much a place of testing and of finding God.
Masada is in this area; many caves are in this area; some of our earliest aesthetics of the faith, the Desert Mothers and Desert Fathers are in this area. A time of testing out his faith is needed before Jesus starts his public ministry with the disciples. Another journey; the first of many he will take.
So, what roads are you on right now? It may be one that you can only see as far as the next stop light, or one that is taking you down a different path than you have been on before. Many people have moved into our province lately. They are all on different roads that brought them here for different reasons. Most importantly, is Jesus with you on the road you are on?
Pr. Scott
