Skip to main content

Knowing the Way

 Thomas said to him,
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going,
 so how can we know the way?”
  

As I write, it’s the celebration of Route 66’s 100th anniversary.

Founded on November 11, 1926, US 66 stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica. During the 1930s Dust Bowl, it served as a key migration route and boosted local businesses. Signs and advertising from 1927 made travel easy.

Thomas's question to Jesus, “How can we know the way?” reflected his desire to better grasp Jesus’ teachings and understand how to follow them.

Just as travelers once relied on Route 66 to guide them west, we rely on spiritual guidance to navigate our own journeys—sometimes finding the path less clear as traditions change or challenges arise.

Upon reflection of my personal faith journey with Jesus, I have considered this question throughout my spiritual development and transitions between churches.

“How can we know the way?”

Initially, the solutions appear straightforward: examine the Scriptures and follow Jesus’ example in demonstrating love for God and others.

However, it becomes clear that the journey began when Thomas—and all of us—made the decision to follow Jesus.

Comprehending the Way is rooted in Jesus's promise to remain with Thomas—and all of us—when we place our trust in his word and sustain our relationship with God.

Recognizing the Way involves acting in alignment with God's intentions, motivating others to seek wisdom that transcends conventional traditions.

Route 66 ended in Santa Monica, but Knowing the Way continues eternally.



Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grantchester's Warning

"But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, the owner would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (from Luke 12:32-40 ) I regularly watch Grantchester; a murder mystery set in 1950s England. The main characters are a local detective and an Anglican priest who, as a team, solve mysteries set in the town. Two aspects of Grantchester impress me. First, the simplicity of the 1950’s police communications done by a landline phone and not cell phone. Second, the simplicity of daily life with little television and fewer possessions allowing the characters to focus on their vocation of detective and priest. This simplicity is more than a nostalgic return to the “good old days”. Instead, it’s a Shaker type of simplicity where austerity allows freedom from distractions to focus on worship and community. Today’s distraction-filled world has seemingly countless activ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Ruler of All Earthly Kings

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. (from Rev. 1:4-8 ) About 17 years ago I wrote a letter to the people in the United Church of Underhill. The purpose of the letter was to explain I was retiring at the end of the Conference Year. I felt the time had come for me personally to move on and for the church to grow with a new pastor. I secured a moving company while the church formed a search committee as we both prepared for the inevitable. This is the nature of the book of Revelation, as recorded in 1:4: “John, to the seven churches in the province of Asia.” This is Revelation’s context: it was written for the benefit of particular people at a particular time for their particular situation. John’s letter narrates a drama about God’s imminent invasion of the “kingdom of this world” ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Every Christian's Journey

"When he was at the table with them,  he took bread, blessed and broke it,  and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened,  and they recognized him." Luke 24:31,32a To me there there all kinds of road trips. They all have similarities such as destinations and travel experiences. Years ago Elaine and I took a camping trip out West. We drove Utah's Route 12 between Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks. This part of the road trip meant enjoying God's beautiful creation. One of the experiences we still laugh about was the constant daily lunch menu of PB&J sandwiches. Luke's major theme is traveling the Way. In the gospel, Jesus travel TO Jerusalem. In Luke's Acts, the disciples travel FROM Jerusalem proclaiming the Word Empowered by the Spirit. On the Emmaus road trip from Jerusalem, two disciples, probably Cleopas and his wife, experience a stranger's presence. The stranger reveals himself as Jesus by explaining what was said about him in the ...
Post a Comment
Read more