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BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY BLOG@ Rhythms of Grace: a Journey into RestSustenance for the journey into rest and peace
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MEDITATIONS FOR THE EASTER SEASON Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." [Matthew 28:7] I wonder why Jesus told His disciples to journey from Judea to Galilee after His resurrection? After all they would be back in the city for Pentecost. And it wasn't just a car trip away, the journey was about a 65-mile walk, and would have taken two to three days. I wonder if the walk was one of the reasons... Perhaps away from the bustling city, full of Passover pilgrims, and away from the source of the most terrible stress, perhaps as they found their walking rhythm, and were absorbed into the peace of the countryside, perhaps they found their hearts were also quietened, and they were positioned to hear the voice of the Lord. Answers were needed, for they hadn't understood Jesus' teaching about His death, and were frightened and confused. However, a clamorous and fretful heart makes hearing from the Lord very difficult, so I wonder if they were calmed as their journey led them through the stark beauty of the Judean Wilderness, I wonder if the vast night sky caused them to marvel again at the power of God, and I wonder if the fresh pools and green pastures of Galilee, brought a healing balm to the wounds of the heart. And I wonder if their hearts were made ready by the time their journey ended, for the wonderful revelations to come. After all, the future of humanity depended on these disciples' understanding. And the point is? Often when we are stressed, the answer lies in a rhythmic activity which allows quietness to pervade the soul, and in putting ourselves in the way of God. The Celtic saints who lived and worked in this area, centuries ago, spoke of 'the book of creation' which they expected to minister to them, in partnership with the Scriptures which they learned by heart, and recited as they walked--horses being the prerogative of the rich. FEELING STRESSED TODAY?If you are feeling stressed today, try taking a trip like the disciples, through the Judean Wilderness, by the way of the video below. Pause it at intervals, and let the Lord come close and give you rest. Or try a canal journey on the Macclesfield canal: Even better, get outside for a long walk! MORE RESOURCESMore resources for the soul can be found on the Creation's Voice page. NEXT WEEK: MEETING THE RISEN JESUS Divine encounters in the ordinary stuff of life... GET IN TOUCH...
[Photo credits: Felipe Correia (footprints); Brett Jordan (mail icon) @ Unsplash, with thanks]
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