5th Easter. He is the Way

Recently I was at a party in which a couple of kids were celebrating their first communions. Among their gifts were Bibles. One bible had a lot of pictures which they liked. I flashed back to a bible I received as a young boy; it told the stories with pictures, which was cool. It helped me to visualize what was going on. Nothing like an image of David holding up Goliath’s severed head to excite a boy about being Christian.  Kids think very literally. Visuals help them as well. They can make connections if they can see it, or feel it, or experience it. A sign of maturity is when kids start to think abstractly. When they can begin to make connections and grasp a larger understanding; to begin to intuit and not be so literal.

I read a recent article about how young persons leave the church, in part, because we as church fail to engage their imaginations. We as a church have a long history of using our aesthetics to spark the imaginations of people, so that they can begin to think about the deeper meanings of our faith. Yet, we let that slip somehow. We can teach almost too objectively, almost too literally; just the “Facts” ma’am. We have not taught them to see in the abstract.

This is beyond religion. I think in society in general, our younger generations are losing out on the ability to think critically, abstractly.  In some conversations I have had with teens and some adults; this lack of imagination, or inability to think in the abstract, has caused problems. They talk about not believing in God because where is God? They can’t experience God. They only see badness or nothing. They do not see God doing great miracles. They have a literal expectation that God will do something in a particular way.

Not a modern phenomena only.

Jesus has been preparing his disciples for what is to come. They have walked with him; seen incredible things done by him; listened to him. Yet, they still think too literally. Thomas thinks Jesus is going somewhere geographically. Philip expects a vision of the Father, to see him.  I suspect Jesus did a dope slap at that point.  He is telling them that the way he has been living is the Way. That the Father has been present each and every time he healed, he welcomed, he forgave, he showed compassion: and the Father will be present as he dies on the Cross.

We know that it will take the resurrection for them to progress, to grasp Jesus fully. We can think of Thomas even making the definitive statement “My Lord and God!” He experiences Jesus, and where Jesus has arrived: in a state of harmony, in peace, in spite of the wounds.  Philip will find the way and live it out: going to preach the good news, following that Spirit to where God directs him. He will do great things in God’s name as well.

We as disciples will need to grow in faith in Jesus as well. We must continually allow ourselves to grow in understanding; to get that Jesus shows us the Father in those moments when we heal, when we forgive, when we show mercy, generosity, compassion, patience… When we truly give of ourselves.

These are not just moments that are nice or us trying to be nice people; God exists in those moments. God is there, is here.

God desires not the evil in this world, unfortunately we humans can allow it. We allow it because we will not open our hearts to something more, because we will not believe in something beyond our selves, and our own perceived needs, wants, desires, fears. We think too small, too narrow, too literal.

Jesus tells us in the face of evil, in the face of heartbreak, in the moments of darkness… be a source of light, be a source for good, imagine ourselves working with God to bring forth something divine.

Think differently.

We celebrate a Eucharist each week that engages the senses, but also the mind to take us deeper than what we see, smell, and hear. We will not see the bread and wine be transformed, but we can believe it abstractly.  The children receiving their First Communions now are walking the Way of Jesus to think differently, to comprehend better. They will be graced to see God at work in their lives and in the world around them.  We, as the adults, must also accompany them and each other on this Way. There is so much beauty to what Christ teaches us; a beauty that helps us to engage in living. We must affirm and encourage each other to walk in this beauty; to allow ourselves to grow as disciples.