Monthly Archives: October 2012

“The discerning Blind Man sees clearly”

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Pentecost 22 (Mark 10:46-52)  10/28/2012

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I recently had a conversation with a friend of mine and he mentioned that he hoped to soon walk the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago (or the “Way of St. James” in English) is a walking pilgrimage that has been popular for centuries. I found my friend’s story very interesting, but not because of his desire to take up a pilgrimage (we all know many pilgrims in this very place of St. John’s Church – our J2A youth just recently returning from Belize). I found my friend’s story interesting because his interest in walking the Camino de Santiago is the third or fourth mention of this pilgrimage I have heard in the past few weeks. Over these weeks, as I have heard the name of this pilgrimage repeated time and again, I have taken notice because repetition holds a particular meaning all to itself. The Bible regularly uses repetition, with stories of great significance being told over and over again. Repetition brings the story to the forefront of one’s mind, calling for special attention in the midst of the vast amount of information we encounter daily. This process of sifting is called “discernment” and discernment is a practice for everyone, not just pilgrims or people with a special concern. My friend’s story prompted me to think about the significance of this ancient walking pilgrimage. The Camino de Santiago started more than one thousand years ago and remains popular today. The earliest pilgrims started their journey from their homes and walked several hundred miles to the legendary burial place of St. James the Apostle, located in northwest Spain. Whether St. James is actually buried where legend says he is buried is not of the greatest significance, for the sacred way of this pilgrimage has long transcended any historical truth. During the many days of walking the Way of St. James, pilgrims meet others on their journey and they experience things they have never known before, and come to know themselves in new and unknown ways. Many share their stories in books, or blogs, or travel guides in an effort to help future discerning people come to know themselves in new and unknown ways. The process of sorting through all their experiences, this process called discernment, is an important element of dealing with so many stories, so many experiences. Discernment is the key to unlocking the mystery of all the stories and messages we receive; messages that urge us to stretch beyond the limits of our current understandings and expectations. Continue reading →

“Was Milton right about free will: the choice of every lost soul – ‘better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven’ – C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce – chapters 8 – 11

Lewis’ tale of fantasy continues with more characters and many, many more questions for us to consider. Throughout these chapters Lewis takes up the important questions of free will (can the ghostly people actually stay in the land of Bright Spirits or must they return to the bus); is God full of love for everyone (or are the ghostly people condemned to return to the bus and their brief trip is a vehicle of torment); and how can one gather courage to walk in to the land of brightness (the journey appears to be impossible). And many more questions that continue to bubble up through and between the lines of Lewis’ wonderful story. Continue reading →

“The humbling challenges of approaching God – ‘Thinking of going back?’: C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis; chapters 4-7.

Previous chapters of Lewis’ tale have successfully brought us to a fantastical world of bright spirits and unimaginable beauty, but now the shadowy figures of the dimly lit Town must leave the bus and find their way in to this strange and wonderful new world…easier said than done. We meet different ghostly characters in each successive chapter, each with their own restrictions and flaws that serve as boundaries to the bright land beyond the bus. Continue reading →

“In the midst of change, all things are being made new”

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Pentecost 19 (Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12)  10/07/2012

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A few days ago the morning paper provided a map of the coming fall colors, with the peak times for each section of southern New England. The map reminded me that we are in the midst of change; the change from summer to fall. But change in our lives is certainly not limited to the seasons or to the colors of the leaves on the trees. This weekend we observe Columbus Day, a curious holiday celebrating the “discovery” of a land that had been inhabited for thousands of years. But regardless of how one might define discovery, Columbus’ voyage certainly marked the beginning of significant change for both Native Americans and Europeans alike. And this morning we remember St. Francis and his abundant love for every part of God’s creation. This year we remember that all creatures are blessed by God’s love and grace by bringing our beloved pets to church for a blessing during the morning service. We are truly surrounded by change! Some of these changes are expected and beautiful (like the fall colors of the leaves); some of these changes are fun and exciting or perhaps a little peculiar (like pets in the church nave); and some of these changes create lifelong and historic alterations to the way we live our lives (like Europeans arriving on the shores of the Americas). Change can be exciting; change can be unsettling; change can leave us bothered and bewildered. Change comes in many varieties and in many colors; every change is not always beneficial but change often marks the path of progress; change points toward the road that leads us to discover new things, new realities, and new ways of being. Continue reading →

“Leaving the empty comfort of Self: C.S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce”

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The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis; chapters 1-3

C.S. Lewis’ story of fantasy in The Great Divorce is a rich and twisted tale of leaving the dismal yet comforting world of self in an effort to trust others, and especially trust God, and take the necessary changes to break-out from one’s world of self and enter the love of God. The tale is a story of Good and Evil; a tale of Heaven and Hell, but a believable tale where the greatest evil is wrapped in apathy and selfishness, which makes the story all the more believable…and therefore frightening.

In the Preface of his book, Lewis sets the stage for the journey that will be told in his story; a journey of striving toward God’s glory, the holy “working out” of one’s salvation. For those who have sought the Reign of God and have finally come to know the glory of God at their journey’s end, of them Lewis writes, “in that sense it will be true for those who have completed the journey (and for no others) to say that good is everything and Heaven everywhere. But we, at this end of the road, must not try to anticipate that retrospective vision. If we do, we are likely to embrace the false and disastrous converse and fancy that everything is good and everywhere is Heaven.” (preface, pg. IX) Lewis’ insight and warning to those of us still making our earthly journey is an important and humbling message that needs to be heard now more than ever.

Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to descriptions of a dingy town that we will learn little about, other than it is a dismally comforting place; a place where anyone’s bleak expectations can be fulfilled with merely a wish. The story’s action quickly centers around the bus station as the dingy town’s inhabitants wait for a magical bus. The line is quite long, but tension and disagreement among the group quickly thin the line to just half the bus’ capacity. The bus’ arrival to the bright and strange new land beyond reveals the true images of the travelers aboard the bus…and the revelations are unsettling!

Chapter 3 provides an introduction to the new land beyond the dingy town and we soon understand that this must be Heaven. Everything is quite different and nothing can compare to the dingy town, but the differences can become overwhelming and we watch as many of the travelers retreat to the safety of the bus. For those brave enough to press forward, they huddle together as the people of this land approach. They are people who can only be described as those filled with a great light whose appearance was very grand and seemingly ageless. “One gets glimpses…of that which is ageless – heavy thought in the face of an infant, and frolic childhood in that of a very old man.” The wisdom, joy and light of those things eternal and close to God fill this place beyond the dingy town with wonders that Lewis will explore in the remainder of his tale.