The physical pilgrim road is an out-pouching of the kingdom. Imagine the kingdom as a city,
the destination. There are various possible approach roads. The laws and many of the benefits
of the kingdom extend along each of the roads. From the moment the traveler sets foot on the
road ith pilgrim intent he is under a new jurisdiction. If he loses that intent, the road on which
he walks becomes the ordinary Spanish, Roman, Israeli tarmac. pg. 30 The Sacred Journey
There will, of course, be times where we tread the same ground, that is the way of pilgrimage, you take a million steps in the same direction. We have spoken about holy ground, both in specific and general terms, yet once again we find ourselves in this place.
I believe that all ground is sacred.
http://onthewaytotheway.blogspot.com/2013/09/standing-on-holy-ground-everywhere.html
I believe that there are places where God seems to break through a little more.
http://onthewaytotheway.blogspot.com/2014/06/standing-on-holy-ground-where-god.html
I also believe that whether or not the ground is sacred has a lot to do with our perspective on whether or not that ground is sacred.
It seems to me that there was a reason that God had to show up in a burning bush in order to declare the ground was sacred, before that point Moses didn't see it that way. I like to think that from that time forward Moses understood something different and saw his world with new eyes, that he was to some degree 'born again'.
We in the Christian community throw that phrase, born again, around so easily but I oftentimes wonder if we really understand the implications of what it means. Time and time again Jesus speaks about the kingdom being made up of those of us who are capable of accepting it and entering into it as if we are children. Children look upon things in wonder, partly because it is the first time they are seeing it, and partly because of the infinite possibilities that they see around them. We are in desperate need of acquiring that kind of vision. In other words, if we are to be born again we need to also look again.
In addition to looking again, with new eyes and fresh vision we also need to hear again if we are to be born again. If you never have I would suggest that you should try to illustrate how different animals sound to a toddler. Anytime we 'moo' or 'baa' or 'roar' or 'oink' or 'bark' or 'meow' or... Henry's face lights up with a smile and oftentimes he cracks up laughing. To his ears each sound is new and strange, and the fact that his parents who usually do not make animal sounds are is hilarious to him. When was the last time you smiled at a sound? When was the last time you really listened? Listened to the noises around you? Listened to what God may be trying to tell you? If you can't answer these questions, it may well be time to hear again.
The third, and final [at least for my purposes, although the list goes on and on] thing that we need to do again if we consider ourselves to be born again is that we need to feel again. So often we wall ourselves off to various things in our lives. Perhaps it is because of a negative experience, but it can even be because of a positive one. Maybe you've been hurt and you promise yourself that you won't be hurt again, not in that way, not by that person, not by that institution, not by men or women, not by God. And then we decide to open ourselves to God, but we continue to close ourselves to others. But, if you want to fully experience the life that God is offering we have to open ourselves to being loved, which does open us up to being hurt, but even through the hurt we can grow.
If we see, hear, and feel anew we can begin to experience the world around us in new ways, in sacred ways. We will begin to understand that the roads we walk are not just Indiana roads, not just Michigan roads or Ohio roads, not just European roads or African roads, not just New Zealand roads, but rather they are kingdom roads. Roads which can lead us to a brighter, more loving, more authentic life.
Buen Camino,
Pastor K
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