Journey to Somewhere

It's the season here for winter or ski breaks. It is a time when people decide to take a few days and sometimes head off into the wilderness to ski, or relax and just get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. There have been a few times in my life when I too have headed off into the wilderness. There is something about being out in nature, amidst an almost deafening silence, where one discovers a little bit about themselves and their place in the world. I know that seems cliche these days, and we could probably point out a number of movies and TV shows that play up those very same narratives. But there is something about being in a group that discovers these things together.

When the Israelites were carried away by the momentum of leaving slavery behind them, they headed off into the wilderness without much of a plan (the passage is linked in the title of this blog). Moses, their leader, was assumed to be fulfilling God's plan for all of them by breaking the bonds that had kept them from being the people God had intended them to be. So they head off into the desert without much of a direction. They were out there for 40 years...which if you think about it allows one whole generation to be born into a "seeking" culture and the generation that remembered what it was like to be a slave to die off.

It could not have been an easy trip. And having almost blindly followed Moses, the people sometimes forgot who ultimately was taking them on this journey, God. Being people, they soon lost interest in the wandering, and began to find plenty to complain about. "Where are we supposed to get food?" "Where is there water?" "Why did you bring us out here, anyway--to let us die?" How soon we lose sight of where we are headed or why we headed in a direction once the journey has begun.

I had an opportunity to take a wilderness hike through the Cascade Mountains in Washington. A couple of older friends of mine (and by older I mean in their 70s!) invited me a long on a "friendly" hike on one of the longer trails. We packed our lunches since we would eat after the 2-3 hour walk and then headed out. Now, being a bit naive about wilderness hiking, I had no idea that there were these things called "switchbacks". While walking straight up the side of a mountain seems like it would be the best route, it would be near impossible and so the trail zigs and zags back and forth across the face of the mountain with gentle slants to make the walk "easier."

Needless to say, as we walked about halfway up the mountain I began to wonder if maybe, just maybe, this was not such a good idea. I had been told how beautiful the lake at the end of our journey would be, how much cooler the temperature would be, thus refreshing us when we arrived. But I began to wonder why we could not just enjoy the lake we could get to by bus, and if it was really worth the trip. My companions kept talking away while I just managed to breathe. I could not believe their energy, and was truly embarassed that I at 20 was in worse shape than a 70+ year old person. "Surely," I thought, "I will die here. Someone will have to go back to the village and call for a helicopter to airlift my body out."

Soon though the switchbacks gave way to a straight path with tall trees overhead. The temperature dropped once we got out of the sun on the side of the mountain and the thump of our footsteps punctuated our conversations. Mountain berries provided a little needed sugar and sweetness to the walk as we paused to sample a few on our way. How did God know we would need such refreshment?

We did make it to the lake. It was gorgeous and provided a view that was worth the effort. The quiet was broken by the appearance of curious and hungry marmots that were fascinated at these sweaty laughing people. The breeze was refreshing, our lunches the perfect accompaniment to the journey's end. And the time spent limited only by the need to head back with plenty of sun to guide us.

Now, why share these two stories? Well, in the case of Moses, the people wanted proof that God was there for them. They needed some signs and wonders. They were becoming a generation of seekers unsure of where they could discover God, assuming that God had instead simply abandoned them altogether. Seekers looking for someone to blame for having had the audicity to hope that there was more to life than simple drudgery and bondage to a directionless life.

On my journey, there were signs of God's presence everywhere, but more so in the holy laughter of the three of us as we enjoyed the simple conversations and knowledge that we were headed to a specific place. There was holy conversation, the three of us never talked about "God" or "Jesus"...the signs of God's presence were all around us...in the forest, on that mountain, and in the Spirit that existed in the time shared together.

Indeed, the Israelites were so busy quarreling and fighting with one another that they had completely forgotten God was there. In fact, God's presence was no longer important for them, they were seekers who had forgotten their direction and cause for living. Moses asks them, after God provides them with water, a simple question, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

That question is one that we at By the Way answer constantly as we meet you at our conversation times. Often people wonder where God is in their lives, and together we discover that God is very present and abounding in grace all around us. Perhaps, we just need to be reminded once in a while that we may be seeking, but that we are on a journey to somewhere, trusting that God is there with us providing what we need. Re-connecting with one another at By the Way affirms, the Lord IS with us!