Which way, now?

 

Directional symbol, Portugal

It's a regular question along the El Camino, which way now? Frequently Carly and I stop along the trail to consult our Camino app or Google maps. We're not the only ones doing this. The pilgrims, or peragrinos, (pilgrim in Spanish) along the way are doing the same thing. Yes, the El Camino is well marked, for the most part, but from time to time, it isn't as well marked and finding our hotel each evening and back to the trail each morning, is often a challenge as we try to get back on track. What a relief for us when we see an arrow, a mile marker, or an official plague positioned in such a place that aids the peragrinos on their journey. Looking for signs is something that brings the anxious spirit, calm. 

As I think about the Christian scripture, I am aware of many times that the disciples, followers, or others reference 'signs' -- 'signs' that point to Jesus as the Son of God. In Matthew, Jesus finds himself in a conflict with the Pharisees and the Sadducees. He says to the leaders of the Jewish faith, "The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus[a] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." Matthew 16:1-3. Like us, the disciples and religious leaders like signs. It helps them to know what to expect and a reality check to make sure they are on the right track. 

Beyond the physical presence of mile markers and the assurance of arrows, the El Camino is a pilgrimage of the spirit that asks the question of us, which way now? Along the El Camino there is ample time to reflect on who we are, who we have been, and what new promise is God

revealing to me that will change me, challenge me, and cause me to grow. Buddaha is credited to have said: "What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now." The signs along the El Camino are physical markers that assure us that we are on the path of the El Camino. Yet between the signs and along the way, there is a great deal of space to reflect upon and ask the question, 'what now?' 

As I reflect upon 'signs' and do some of my own growing, I am also thinking about congregations that have found themselves in a different place. There was a time when 'church' was an important part of the lives of family and central, influential fixtures within cities, neighborhoods and communities. Over the last thirty years, this is no longer the case. There are many reasons that this is the case and all of us who have been involved in the faith communities, have been asking the question, 'which way, now?' for a very long time. The direction for local congregations is no longer clear. The community and the neighborhoods, no longer support the notion that Christian Churches are an important aspect of community living. Like the pilgrims along the El Camino, the disciples and religious leaders of the Jesus culture, and congregations in transition, we are asking for signs -- signs that guide us to a new way of being, or as Buddha says, '...what you will be is what you do now..." This is a message that is worth our time and reflection. Now, at this point in our life -- or our life together, what will we be now. The signs may be more obvious than we think.