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Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ John 13
I’ve been taking more phone-pics than usual and using many of them for these posts. Yesterday on a stroll in in rural Canterbury I noticed a change in the trees. Bishop Ashby used to say at this time of the year “it’s a touch autumnal” and today, even in the warm afternoon sun the trees reminded me that autumn is nigh. It’s a touch autumnal.
I wasn’t going anywhere in particular as I walked yesterday, but summer here in Aotearoa is passing into autumn and soon it will be Winter. Many FFF readers in the Northern Hemisphere are welcoming spring, and before too long we will again be doing the same.
The seasons of the earth teach us about decline, death, and resurrection and that in itself is a powerful reflection of the journey of Holy-Week
Today I am moved by Peter’s question to Jesus: “where are you going?”
This is a question I ask of Jesus: Lord, where are you going? And there are many similar questions: Jesus what are you doing? Lord why did you let this happen?
As I ask these questions I sometimes feel my resistance to any answer. Other times I sense my readiness to listen and even to follow. Yes I’m hesitant about experiencing betrayal, being abandoned by friends, and journeying to the cross, but there are also seeds of willingness in me.
Then I realise that not only does Jesus ask me this question (John, where are you going) because he fears I am going to stray, but Jesus wants to know where I am going so that he can get there first and meet me there.
And today I understand again that Christian faith is not about working out where Jesus is going and following him there. Instead faith is a relationship with the divine lived in the joys, the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of each hour. S
Sometimes I follow Jesus, and other times Jesus follows me. Whatever the path of the journey we are happy as long as we meet.
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FFF IN THE CAFE… Send your name and the name of a cafe or bar to john@fff.org.nz Scribble FFF on a table napkin, take a seat and wait.
DROP IN FOR A CHAT:
Monday 10 April 2023 (and every Monday)
10.00am at Moko (Kudos) in the Bush Inn Centre Christchurch (Directions) Trish
Tuesday 11 April 2023 (and second Tuesday of every month)
10.30am at Zenders 44 Hopkins Road, Newstead, Hamilton (Directions). Christina
Thursday 13 April 2023
10.30am at Zest Cafe Greeton 187 Chadwick Rd, Tauranga. (Directions) Frances
Monday 17 April 2023
11.00am at The Cafe at Harrisons, 23 Peka Peka Rd. Waikanae Beach. Catherine.
Sunday 23 April 2023
11.00am at The Bakehouse 74 Main Street, Fairlie. (Directions) Fr. Tien Cao.
Thursday 27 April 2023
10.30am at Zest Cafe Greeton 187 Chadwick Rd, Tauranga. (Directions) Frances
As I get ready to finish a job at four in the morning.
“Where are you going Robert?”
“To finish that job Lord.”
“I will meet you there Bob”
What a great reflection you have given us today John.
.Thankyou John, beautiful. As I journey through this Lenten Season and and also through the changing seasons of my life, I too pray to Jesus to strengthen me to walk quietly, gently and steadily onwards with him ready to embrace the good, the bad and the ugly together with him, come what may.i am encouraged by the words of Oscar Wilde: where there is sorrow (in particular) here is Holy Ground. It is easy to feel joy, hope, love but much more challenging to be a willing participant and share in the sufferings of Christ. It is here where numerous blessings can be found, hidden and waiting to be claimed.
Take my hand in yours Lord, and walk with me today. I fear I may get lost in my own busyness.
Beautiful – a mantra for the day if ever one was needed 🙂
A parish priest of the 1970s would strongly express his view about travel at Easter time. Easter and Holy Week are times to stay home, with and near family, Fr Noel told his parishioners. Perhaps this allows us time and space to be in relationship with Jesus, sharing our joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties?
John, along with Robert above, it is wonderfully reassuring to know that “Jesus wants to know where I am going so that he can meet me there”. Thank You !
I hope Jesus is going where I’m going over Easter (as I don’t know) and I hope and trust he’ll guide me to the right place to be with him.
Thank you John. This is indeed the question we must all ask ourselves- where are we going as the people of God, being called through Francis to become a Synodal church, open, listening, inclusive of ALL,…
A lot for me to unpack today but a beauty in the last two sentences
I second that
I love this reflection. ‘Jesus wants to know where I am going so that He can get there first to met me there.’ A beautiful thought and certainly Food For Faith. Thank you John for sharing your wonderful gift with us.
Amen!