What? Does he mean "The Road to Emmaus" or "The Road to Morocco"? Well, it depends on what season you think it is. If you are a "film buff" then you know that the Oscars were yesterday and also that Bob Hope hosted the Oscars 18 times. If you know the church calendar (ahem...Seminarians), then you will remember that it is Lent. What I have been thinking about, is how often my journey on "the road" seems like I am on an adventure with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. I very rarely can say that I feel as if I am walking with Christ on my journey down “the road” to wherever. In this season, it is important to remember that we are always walking with Christ. Especially when it seems like all we have around us is directly out of a Hope/Crosby slapstick routine.
Now, I will admit that it is very easy to write something like the previous paragraph. But, it is rather hard to live it out when it seems like the entire world is resting on your shoulders. Life is tough and unrelenting. There is never a time out. It always seems to keep coming. We very rarely find a quiet place to gather our thoughts. We are always being rushed along down “the road” with the hustle and bustle of life. That is how I end up feeling like Jesus is a thousand miles away.
So, what do we do? How do we find Christ amidst the strife of everyday life? The key is making time for him. We cannot expect Jesus to appear whenever we need him, like he is Underdog or Superman… though he is certainly capable. Jesus wants something more from us. He wants a close personal relationship. This does not happen overnight. It takes work. It requires us to make time for him every single day. A time which we spend in whatever space brings us closer to him.
What space brings you close to God?
What spiritual practice feeds your soul?
I am fed through spending time in silence with God. This works best for me because I love to have noise around me. Whether it is music, movies, or television it helps me to concentrate on school work. When I am trying to spend time with God it is different. I have found that spending time with God requires more concentration than my homework does. Maybe this is because it is easy to shove God aside when I am surrounded by the hustle and bustle of everyday life. But I also think it is because God wants my full attention.
How can we start to give God our full attention? Well, I would suggest that you find a spiritual practice that helps bring you closer to God. I have found Practicing Our Faith to be an extremely helpful guide. God doesn’t only want us to “get theological about our diets” during Lent. Christ is calling to us. Christ is walking “the road” right next to you. The question is, will you bother to make time for God or will you live life like the hectic slapstick comedy to which it can devolve?
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