Waze

 

Waze

 

John 14:1-6

Christ the way, truth, life 

 

14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

 

14:2 In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?

 

14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.

 

14:4 And you know the way to the place where I am going."

 

14:5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"

 

14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

 

There are a lot of electronic “gizzies” and modern innovations in the automobile these days, and I am fortunate to own a “state of the art” model. It is a fully electric car with more screens, lights, computers, and “thinking” control systems than even Captain James T. Kirk could have imagined. I heats and cools us passengers using a “heat pump,” something fairly recent on the technological horizon. The car pumps over 250 horsepower almost instantaneously through its front-wheel drive, directly from its powerful permanent magnet electric motor. It goes off like a rocket. Its two large display screens feed me more data than I can possibly use, regarding what the car is up to, and my model even has a projected, “heads-up” display, like a third-generation fighter jet. I don’t have to take my eyes off the road to take in all of the information it can feed directly to the windshield in front of me. And it’s a good thing I keep my eyes peeled on what’s ahead, because a camera is watching me, and should I let them wander away for more than about five seconds, the car vibrates my driver’s seat, and even nudges the steering wheel to center the car, if I let it drift. And there’s more. This car has something called “Super Cruise.” When traveling on one of the almost a million miles of satellite-mapped roadways, I can engage it, and the car takes over the driving. I take my hands off the wheel, and it just drives! On four-lane roads like Interstates and turnpikes, it will even detect a slower vehicle ahead, check all of its 360 degrees of camera to see if the coast is clear, will signal into the passing late, and will pass the other car, signaling and returning to the main lane of travel afterwards. As someone has said, “Amaze, amaze, amaze!” Oh, and while doing all of this passing stuff, it vibrates my seat on the left cheek to warn me it is moving into the passing lane, and then on the right cheek, when it returns to the right lane. If its internal camera sees me doing more than a few seconds of looking away, however, it vibrates the whole driver’s seat, flashes a few attention-getting lights on the steering wheel, and “kicks out,” telling me to take the wheel because I’ve been a bad boy. So no, Super Cruise does not let me check my email or surf social media, but it does allow me to relax and “leave the driving to us,” as the old Greyhound commercial used to say. We travel enough on Interstates that I am quite pleased my “gadget-mobile” has this feature! Between the extreme quiet of an electric car, a comfortable interior including a soothing sound system, and driver and passenger seats that warm your buns in the Winter and chill your cheeks in the Summer, these innovations make the journey a joy.

 

And the journey is the ticket, isn’t it? It is my conviction that our spiritual life in Christ is not only a grace-filled and Spirit-empowered one, but is built on a “journey” theology, as taught by Jesus and shown to us personally by Jesus. We know from reading the Gospels that Jesus’ life and ministry was a peripatetic one, moving from one town and region to another to encounter God’s children, offering healing, salvation, and peace. He even rode on state-of-the-art modes of transportation of his day—boats and a donkey! And on a few occasions, the scriptures use language that sure makes it sound like he pops in and out of threatening venues as only the Son of God can (there’s that “Star Trek” vibe again…) When Jesus is risen from the dead, the angel at the tomb tells the women to let the men know that the risen Jesus “has gone on ahead to Galilee,” and that they can find him there. Even after such a momentous event, Jesus hits the road again. The New Testament, from the Gospels through Revelation, is filled with journeys, journey language, and journey theology. The disciples, history tells us, scattered and took the Gospel message with them wherever they went. Some traditions have Thomas in India and Mary, the mother of Jesus, going as far as Spain. We know that Paul was a traveler. Why, his first encounter with Jesus of Nazareth was on the road to Damascus. The early church and its principal leaders were a “portable” bunch, not confining themselves to any one location. Of course they were following Jesus’ command to “go into all the world and make disciples,” but I think there’s more to it than that. They were also sent to “encounter” new people, to build and encourage community among believers wherever they journeyed, and to keep the work of the Holy Spirit “portable,” too. I think God knew that if the church too quickly became an “institution,” it would bog down and lose its direction, the “vision” of where it was going. 

 

While Dara and I are approaching our 49^th year together, and have loved to take car trips all along the way, “navigating” and keeping on course has often been a sore spot of said journeys. Dara loves maps, and is our map reader, but as we all know, maps can be outdated, confusing—especially when there is new construction—and not able to warn of hazards on the road ahead. Being an incurable gadget freak, for Christmas many years ago, my loving family bought me one of the very first GPS car navigation units called a “Tom Tom.” Suddenly, we could set this thing on the dashboard, dial in our destination, and it would speak the directions and give us a little three-inch digital representation of the road ahead. Amaze, amaze, amaze! Eventually though, a few cars later, this “navigation” became built right into the car, and with a larger screen. Now, it could tell us where gas stations and rest stops were! The journey became easier and so much more fun, especially for a technology geek like me. Initially, this “tech” was a downer for my co-pilot, who to this day keeps her stash of state road maps up to date, thanks to the AAA, but rarely do we use them to plot our course. 

 

In this weekend’s text from John 14, verse six has become rather a famous “memory verse,” especially in the evangelical community: Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” This is a very important verse, but not for the reason many think it is. There are those who point to John. 14:6 as “proof” that Jesus is saying that he is the “exclusive” way to the Father, which they take to mean that he negates all other religions and theological perspectives on salvation. Jews? Muslims? Unitarians? Sorry guys, you’re out in the cold unless you “confess Jesus.” I don’t think this is what is being said in this verse at all! Look at it again. The language is JOURNEY language! Jesus is “the way,”  meaning he will give directions and lead the journey. Jesus is “the truth,” which is not objective here, but an on-going “truth-finding and learning” journey which will be guided by Jesus. And Jesus is “the life.” It is this last phrase that gives us the larger meaning of the whole clause—Jesus, the peripatetic Jesus, the “going on before you to Galilee” Jesus—will lead us in the way and the truth, all along the journey of our lives. Not only is this not “exclusive” to the Christian, but promises that for each of us, Jesus will be our guide, and he will invite ALL PERSONS to journey along, regardless of cultural beliefs, religious expressions, or even if one currently has ANY faith at all. This is a verse about God’s desire that “none should perish,” and that all of life is a journey wherein these truths shall be revealed to us along the way. Never was it intended to be a “litmus test” for who is “in” and who is “out.” And look at the objective—“the Father.” We’re not talking about heaven here, friends, we’re talking about seeking knowledge of God the Creator, and our relationship TO God, and it will be opened to us as we journey along with Jesus, and with others. 

 

Have you ever heard of the Camino de Santiago (literally “Way of St. James”)? To quote Google, it is a “network of ancient pilgrim routes across Europe, mainly Northern Spain, culminating at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It was established WAY back in the 9^th Century. Each year, hundreds of people take this “Camino” hiking journey that takes between four and five weeks to experience spiritual enlightenment and grow closer to God through the experiences of the others who have gone on the journey before. I have personally known a number of folk who have taken this “Camino,” and believe me, it was transformational for them. [Incidentally, there is a wonderful movie about an American going on a Camino called, interestingly, “The Way,” and it stars Martin Sheen. I HIGHLY recommend it!] What is so powerful about the Camino is that it LIVES OUT the Journey theology of Jesus, himself! However, you don’t have to go to Spain and walk the 100k of the Camino de Santiago to start living your Christian life as a peripatetic journey, as opposed to a collection of biblical/theological/doctrinal rules or precepts that “must be obeyed.” Jesus is the journey guy, not the judging rule-maker, and like the Camino walkers, he is engaged in a timeless, worldwide journey to make sure that God’s desire that “none should perish” becomes a reality. The journey invites ALL to join in, with the necessary enlightenment and “commitment” coming in stages, as we walk along together! THIS is what John 14:6 is trying to tell us, Dear Ones.

 

One of the latest new “add-ons” to my car’s fancy navigation system is something called “WAZE.” Waze lets us know if there is a hazard ahead, including something in the roadway, construction, slowed traffic, and accident, or even a policeman monitoring along the road. Waze even suggests alternate routes, if the hazard or inconvenience is bad enough to really hold us up. If we stay on the route, and come upon the issue in question, it asks us if “it is still there,” to which we can answer, and it then can keep its warning to those on the journey after us, current and helpful. What a wonderful metaphor for how Jesus, through the “WAZE” of the Holy Spirit, guides our journey, getting us around the rough spots, keeping us on course, and using our experience and feedback of same to help those yet to come! How wonderful! All I can say is, AMAZE, AMAZE, AMAZE, WAZE! And to you, an AMEN!