Are We There Yet?

Nobody knows when and how the bustling epicenter of busy religious activity turned into a breeding ground of score-keeping, comparison and competition.

Perhaps at some point the show became more important than the substance.  The PR more important than prayer.  The reputation more important than the relationship. 

But, Jesus wouldn't engage in the game.  He would have none of it. He let the religious professionals to their own little charts and score boards, He gathered up His crew and headed north, out of Judea and... straight for the Middle-of-Nowhere. The Wasteland of In-Between.

I find this so incredibly counter-cultural, so counter-intuitive - leaving behind thriving, successful ministry on the upswing and ...? - but I won’t go there. 

We see Him on the road for several hours already and by now He is worn out by the journey.

Worn out by the journey…

Journeys are tiring. We just returned from a long international trip and it was exhausting.

The act of leaving.  All the decisions: What do I take? What do I leave behind?  Who are my travelling companions? Counting the baggage we all carry on - theirs? Mine?

The upheaval of change. 

The loss of familiarity.

The hope waiting at the destination.

The art and the science of travelling light.

Then, we are in transit.

Neither here nor there. Firmly planted in mid-air for what feels like f-o-r-e-v-e-r. The destination not in sight.

ARE we THERE YET???

Everyone is exhausted and a little grumpy.