This archive report was first published on 20 July 2020.
As we navigate the challenges of our current reality, it's easy to feel disconnected and alone. But what if we saw ourselves as purposefully scattered, sent out on an unexpected journey, traveling solo?
Jesus' ministry was marked by both gathering and scattering. He brought people together around tables, but he also sent them out to heal and cast out demons, often alone and without much in the way of supplies.
Throughout the Bible, we find stories of solitary travelers who journeyed in situations of great uncertainty, only to encounter the astonishing presence of the sacred. Jacob wrestled with God, a court official of the Ethiopian queen was baptized by the side of a thoroughfare, and two disciples found that Jesus was walking with them all along.
Perhaps there's something about being jolted away from our rituals and routines that helps us see their value in new ways. We never planned to walk this path, but it's given us a shock of clarity. At once, we are suddenly unemployed, attempting to both parent and work full time, hesitating about next year's college plans, or fearful of illness.
As we look to the Bible for guidance, we find that the road is often a place of encounter and transformation. It carries us from an old life to a new one, and it's in these moments of uncertainty that we discover the presence of the sacred.
