The journey of 1,000 miles

I find it interesting that many times when I have written my blog, and words like follow and discipleship come up, the readership goes down. I find it interesting because people seem to not want to hear it for whatever reason. Yet that is exactly what the Gospel and the Kingdom are about. The Gospel of Mark is about the collision of the Kingdom of God with the kingdoms and idols that we have set up. The Gospel shows how God in Christ deals with that.

The Gospel this week is about following Jesus. Nothing more than that, but then nothing less than that either. Many seem to think that what needs to happen is for everybody to find salvation or “get saved” and then everything will be fine. In fact, coming to know who Jesus is for you, and knowing that he has come to your rescue, is only the beginning, the foundation of a life that is to be lived with Jesus because it is going to be lived into eternity with him. We do not live on our own and we do not follow Jesus in a vacuum. We live and follow from within community. We need each other. I need you and God, in his wisdom has determined that you need me.

We cannot preach, cannot live or fulfill our vocations without one another. And it is increasingly truer every day. It is hard to follow Jesus these days, to be a person of integrity and to preach the truth when our society is suffused with technology which is constantly blaring information, news and opinion at us to the point our senses are bludgeoned and blotted out. It is hard to be faithful when a 15-year-old boy, who was out for supper with his family, is shot to death because someone was trying to kill someone else. Following Jesus is so much more than getting rescued – getting into heaven. That is only the start – the foundation. We are to work at building a life and a relationship with Jesus while learning to depend upon Jesus, broadening and deepening it.  This includes our relationships with one another and how we relate to the wider world. We are to be more than impressive people: we are as a community, mean to have impact one each other and on the world for good and for God. The Gospel is more that good news about God. The good news is coming from God to all of us.

This is the moment that has been chosen and we are the people chosen by Jesus himself to call others into the path that we are walking. As the Markan Gospel points out, “Many are called, and few are chosen.” We are to bring every person into the path we walk, those whom Christ is calling to follow him. And at the same time, we need to be considering who Christ is calling to leadership in his Church. From time to time, I remind myself that the Lord and the Church chose me. Yes, I answered the call. Yes, I went and did the academic exercise to make sure that I had the right training and preparation. When the time was right, I was publicly chosen, prayed for and had hands laid on me. That was many years ago now. But I remember the ordination as if it was last night. The resounding “Yes, it is” to the question asked by the Bishop, “Is it your will that he be ordained?” And the weight, not only of the Bishop’s hands but of the many priests who where there and consented to that ordination, laying their hands on me as well.

It has served as a reminder that I am not in this adventure alone with Christ. I march with the great company of disciples along the road, with and behind Christ.  I am a part of a community that lives and moves and has its being as a body of believers. We will not find our satisfaction, our rest until we are with Christ and at home with him in the care of our heavenly Father.

A journey of 1,000 miles begins with its first step. This is the moment that needs your decision. Will you come and follow with me?

Jason+