September 22, 2009

When danger is not danger




This road is in Bolivia and is called "The highway of death" for obvious reasons. Posting limitations prevent me from showing all the pictures, but when two tractor trailers meet on this road it will make even Mr. Spock raise an eyebrow. There is so little space on the road that just one mistake means a long fall and a gruesome death. A fearful thing indeed! Now consider this passage from the book of John for a moment and consider a more dangerous road than this.
John 14:1-6
14 "Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions. If it weren't so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you.
3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
4 Where I go, you know, and you know the way."
5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.WEB


When Jesus refers to himself as the "way", it is the same word used for road or path. Think about the twelve disciples who followed Jesus; almost all of them died a martyr's death; some died an excruciatingly painful and prolonged demise. But they gave a testimony (martyrdom) of the way from this world of flesh to the eternality of Spiritual life everlasting. And the danger and the suffering are shown to be mere flashes of time in an eternity of life for which they were bound. So, following The Christ of God is really not a danger at all, because in the end, every step with God on the way to heaven is as sure footed as if you were super glued to the road. All you have to do is not to look down and keep looking up!
My thanks to Brittany Cantin for the pictures!