Persevere on the path
August 13th, 2023 – Communion Meditation
Paul and I greatly enjoy exploring new places wherever we go. On a recent trip we decided to walk along a 1.3km (0.8 mile) path to a lighthouse situated at the end of a breakwater. Online photos showed gorgeous views of this magnificent marvel of engineering that was constructed over a period of 18 years in the late 1800s. The straight pathway lead us to anticipate a short and simple walk.
What the photos didn’t reveal is that this breakwater, constructed from over 730,000 tons of locally quarried granite, is not a smooth or seamless path at all. After all, the main purpose of this breakwater is to provide a safe and sheltering sanctuary for ships, not to provide a trouble-free and tranquil trail for tourists. There are huge gaps between the many slabs, pieces, and remnants of rock, large enough at times that it would be easy to lose a phone, a leg, or a child in one of them. It would definitely not qualify as “accessible” for wheelchairs, walkers, or strollers.
It took our full concentration to traverse this narrow path, with waves lapping on both sides, while we tried not to lose our balance and periodically paused to enjoy the scenery along the way. We were grateful to have donned our hiking shoes before setting out. Our progress was so slow at times that we wondered halfway along if we should continue, as we still had a long way to drive before reaching our accommodations for the night. But the beauty of the lighthouse and the ocean beyond beckoned us forward, so we decided to continue towards our goal and enjoy the journey even though it was quite different, more difficult, and of a longer duration than we had expected. We made it, and it was totally worth it, as we were rewarded with not only stunning views and appreciation for nineteenth century engineering, but also the satisfaction of having persevered on the path and accomplished a hard thing.
As we come to Communion today, to the table of our Lord Jesus Christ, let’s consider some of the ways in which life often presents us with paths that are different, difficult, or of a longer duration than we had hoped. I invite you to close your eyes engage your heart and mind with God as we identify and give over some things to Jesus, who is with you on your pathway. We imagine what our relationships with family or friends will look like, and then life happens, and things don’t turn out quite as we had hoped. Give all of that to Jesus. We imagine what our physical or mental health will be like, and then life happens, and we experience the loss or adjustment of certain abilities. Give all of that to Jesus. We imagine how long it will take to reach a certain goal, and then life happens, and we discover it’s more costly, more circuitous, or more challenging than we had initially realized. Give all of that to Jesus. We imagine what tomorrow will bring, and then life happens, and things beyond our control change and we feel unsettled, anxious, or fearful. Give all of that to Jesus.
Lord Jesus, you know just what our relationships, health, goals, and tomorrows will be like. Help us to live in your embrace, follow you in faith, and persevere on the path one step at a time. Thank you, Jesus, that you are with us, for us, and will help us. We adore you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!
Matthew 26:26-28 – “While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
