Skip to main content

Addicted to Travel?

Road to Emmaus

Luke 24.13-35

What has been the most significant journey that you have taken? Was it short, long, with friends, alone? The travellers on the Road to Emmaus were walking and a stranger appears alongside them. I was wondering how the story would have to be different if it were set today. Jesus' sudden appearance in a car, for instance, would have spoiled the slow build up of drama as they listened to this stranger! Someone suddenly appearing in your car is going to make you jump! But most of us don't usually walk seven miles just as part of our daily routines, let alone seven miles back again!

That made me think about how we travel today and I had the very uncomfortable and challenging thought that travelling in a car is a sin. Hmm. I didn't like that idea very much so I had a go at arguing with God about that one. I like the car: I go to Scotland in it for a holiday, or I visit my parents. These things bring me joy - I tried to push away the idea that I could go on the train, as dear God, that is not practical with children. However, God seemed to be telling me that every good thing, or apparent good thing, has consequences.

Here, where we live in Chelmsford, we are normally surrounded by cars. They stack up in the diocesan car park every day; they zoom along to drop children off at the Cathedral Primary School; they file up by the Leisure Centre and for the shopping centre. In fact, when I think about it, we normally live in one big car park. But, not at the moment, at the moment we hear the birds, we notice the trees, the silence, the space. We breathe in unpolluted air.

Which brings me back to the idea that travel in a car is a sin. How do we know what sin is? One way of thinking about it is to say sin can be a bit like a blind spot: it's something we habitually do, that we think is okay, but is actually harming us and others. In a way that is the most dangerous kind of sin - we all know the 10 commandments, we know it's wrong to steal, to murder, to be jealous and so on. But the sins we don't see, or can't see are the most dangerous.  We have to pray and hope that God at some point will open our eyes to see that it is not part of His plan, not consistent with his Love and Mercy and Peace.

The Bible is full of stories of encounter with God, in which, after a period of blindness, eyes are opened. Indeed our story today, the story of the Journey to the Emmaus, follows that pattern. Two men struggling to make sense of what has just happened - discussing and wondering, unable to believe the story of the women, not sure about the rumours - encounter Jesus. Jesus slowly, steadily, opens their eyes. He talks, he explains, he teachers, he interprets - but most essentially he takes bread and blesses it - then their eyes are opened and they believe.

'They their eyes were opened and they recognized him and he vanished from their sight'. 
Luke 24.31

It seems to me that in this time, when are normal routines and accepted truth has been taken away, we are being given an extraordinary opportunity to see differently - to notice which habits are life-giving and which bring death. It is a gift that we must accept and learn from.

My eyes are being opened: I must learn to take life slower, I must travel differently, I must live-into and accept the limitations of my humanity and be less ready to take all the 'advantages' of fast vehicles. Then I will enjoy the reward of following God's Laws - I will rejoice at the clean air, the abundant wildlife, the beauty and splendour of nature. I will have time to breathe, to enjoy, to just 'be'.

Praise be to Jesus who opens our eyes to what is true and life-giving. May we have the faith to accept his teachings and the courage to follow him, whatever the cost. AMEN 


 There are some stark images on the news at the moment comparing pre Covid 19 pollution levels with now: https://thebfd.co.nz/2020/03/21/covid-19-clears-the-air-over-china/   It is quite extraordinary. 






Comments

Post a Comment

Please be respectful when posting comments

Popular posts from this blog

Rugby

It has been just over three weeks now since we have arrived in Rugby and it feels like a world away from South London. If I was used to being in what is generally thought of and written about as a post-Christian secular world then Rugby looks and feels very different. There are a proliferation of churches across Rugby which are very active in working together for the good of the town. There seems to be a genuine Spirit of God's love working across Rugby in impressive ways that I'm not sure what century I am in! It is surprising to find a town that works so hard in regenerating and reinvigorating all that it is and it feels like an enormous privilege to be here.  Not that South London was any kind of spiritual desert! It was also a great privilege to work there and see how God can still be so central to people's lives in the 21st century. If the image we get from the newspapers and national media is that God is redundant in the modern age it seems that the reality is very ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Identity, belonging and holiness

Sermon for 2nd July Doubting Thomas - Ephesians 2:19-end, John 20:24-29 In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians we see classic Pauline theology in action – Paul is explaining to the Ephesians (Gentiles) that they are fully accepted into the household of God and full members of it. The implication is that they are unsure about their place. Paul is clear that their tradition and history is rooted now not only in the Patriarchs, but also in the Apostles and with Jesus Christ as the corner stone. It is the Apostles in Jesus who invite them to full membership. No longer is holiness and worship centred on the Temple in Jerusalem but, rather, the individual believers are spiritual temples and the group of believers an ‘habitation of God’. Paul, as we know, had been fully committed to his identity as a God-fearing Jew; his life and ritual practice confirmed his sense of superior identity before God. He was saved because of his birth right and due to his strict adherence to the Law. Th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Women as Priests - Why the Big Deal??

Vocation as Participation Women priests at Coventry Cathedral celebrating each year of ordinations since 1994.  They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-end The church of England has been celebrating and marking 20 years of women’s priestly ministry. Today I went to a service of celebration at Coventry Cathedral.  When I was in the cathedral I thought again about why women’s priesth...
Post a Comment
Read more