Moving on

Luke 9:51-62

          When people know you are a spiritual person they often approach you with stories that might make them seem crazy. Invariably I am told of an old aunt that appeared as  ghost at the foot of their bed in the middle of the night. Or perhaps some interesting but almost unbelievable story of some ghostly appearance or happening. I try not to dismiss any of such things even if I have difficulty understanding it or even if I have doubt. I know that we all have different talents and levels of spirituality. I try not to dismiss off hand any of the psychics I hear about. I'm not sure I would put my life in their hands but I try to be open minded knowing there is more to life, this world and the next, that I know about. Perhaps our knowledge becomes clearer as we get older or approach death.

             Jesus knew what he was approaching and yet he approached anyway. Even if he did not know the specifics (and perhaps he did) he went to Jerusalem anyway. Not only that, he rebuked people that tried to stop him and rebuked those who would not respect the journey.

              I have known two people that were aware of their impending death and were able to speak about it. In both cases they were able to convey their willingness and readiness to move on. It is not a giving up but a readiness and a willingness to partake of the final steps of our earthly journey. They seem to know that the best is yet to come even if it mans saying goodbye to the ones they love here on earth. Jesus knew he was going to die and he ached. he was saying goodbye to his friends, his Apostles, his lover(?) and his mother. Not easy to say goodbye as  human person. Our lives are all about relationships. In the case of my latest 'aquaintance', my ex-mother-in-law, she is prepared to go and her strength now is geared to preparing the ones she loves to say goodbye and to accept what her journey is. She is ready to return to creator God and Father. If she was Jesus she would rebuke those who want her to stay beyond the time she know has come. In the former case, my own mother, I refused to acknowledge her readiness to go. In so doing I may have subjected her to years of an earthly existence that was not a full life as we think of it. She was bound to a chair in a nursing home for years before she returned to the Lord. I pray that she did not suffer and that I was able to love and learn from her in the time she had left. It is just tough to say good bye.

          There are people though who have visions and see the future or know it is their time and accept it. Who are we to hold back a life that God s calling?  Although it hurts immensely, we must have the ultimate respect for others' journey to wholeness and that transition back to the Father.

          I suppose this whole subject could evolve into an argument about one's right to die, or euthanasia. I would only argue for respect for one's life and one's ability to discern when they are ready to go. It respects a person's journey and it respects God who may be calling the individual back t his loving arms. Rather than being rebuked by God for interfering with his calling home of one of his children, I would rather respect that transition and help ease the transition in any way I can (short of making it happen). I don't believe in taking a life but I also don't believe we have a right to keep a life when God is calling someone home either. I'd rather not debate specifics.

         If anything I would point to this passage. Jesus headed to Jerusalem knowing what was coming. He would not rain fire down on the Samaritans because he valued their journey and them as brother and sisters. He rebuked those who did not respect his own journey.

         In everything we must honor each others journey to wholeness and to our eventual return to God. We may not understand it all, we may find it heartbreaking to say good bye but we must honor each others' journey.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set towards Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’ But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.

As they were going along the road, someone said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’ To another he said, ‘Follow me.’ But he said, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ But Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home.’ Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’