When my wife and I drive somewhere — especially on long-distance trips — we have something of a tradition. Whenever we pass a vehicle on the side of the road where we can see the driver, we always say a quick prayer for them: “Dear God, please help them.” This tradition stemmed out of a few coinciding ideas. First was the impracticality of helping those we pass; for the most part, we’re going too fast, and it’d be too dangerous to try to slow down or get in position to help them. Second was the burning desire to do something. Although I’m a firm believer in coupling prayer with deed when possible, sometimes concrete action isn’t feasible . . . in such cases, prayer is our best recourse.
This came to mind today as I reflected on today’s readings. I’ve read these many times before, but one thing I hadn’t quite realized in my earlier reflections was the importance of traveling. In the first reading, from Acts, “Peter and John were going up to the temple area for the three o’clock hour of prayer.” They were walking, and they encountered a crippled man. Peter healed him in the name of Jesus Christ, and the man “leaped up, stood, and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.”
In the Gospel selection from Luke, Cleopas and an unnamed disciple were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. On their journey, they met the risen Christ — though they did not recognize him at first — and traveled with him, amazed at their new companion’s wisdom and knowledge. When Jesus took the bread, said the blessing, and broke it, “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” Jesus vanished immediately thereafter. They then “set out at once and returned to Jerusalem.” There they met with other disciples and friends and compared notes about the Easter wonders they’d beheld.
Although the automobile has allowed for so many opportunities and conveniences, its primary advantages — speed and protection from the outside world — are also some of its biggest flaws. The journey loses its importance when the landscape zips by, and those you might meet are rendered as insignificant dots zooming briefly in your field of vision, soon to be forgotten.
In contrast, when you travel on foot, you recognize the value of the journey itself, beyond a means of getting to a destination. Our household walks frequently — almost every day — and we’ve greeted neighbors, given coupons to strangers about to go to restaurants, shared an umbrella with a mother and infant as they traveled to their destination, helped a driver who was in a ditch due to ice, rescued a stray dog, and so many other minor incidents that contribute to the tapestry of the world.
The modern world fixates on the destination. But today’s readings remind us that we can often meet Christ on the journey, not just at the end points. In the macro sense, we know the end points; we’re born, we’re going to die someday, and — if we’ve lived a life in Christ — we’ll get to Heaven. But we’re more than two years on our tombstones; just about everything of note happens on the dash between those two years.
Similarly, in our day-to-day lives, we often lose sight of the journey itself in our focus on the end points. Recognize the value of the journey itself. Jesus didn’t exist just in the immaculate set-pieces of his miracle moments, but imparted considerable wisdom while traveling and spending time with his followers.
If you’re not where you want to be — physically, emotionally, or spiritually — perhaps you’re just on a journey whose final destination you know not yet. Take this opportunity to look for Jesus around you, by spreading the Word and trying to good. That’s what Peter did; he wasn’t looking for a specific opportunity to heal people, but was living his life and had the chance to bring God’s love to someone in need.
If your downtrodden situation makes you one of the blessed of the Beatitudes, look for the comfort that Jesus can provide. That’s what the travelers in today’s Gospel selection were doing; they were deeply confused and no doubt adrift from the events of the past few days, with the death of their savior and reports of his return. It was at that time that Jesus came to them, giving them enlightenment and renewed purpose.
This time of Easter marks the joyous end of Lent, the culmination of the promises of Christ, and the chance for our faith to be born anew like Jesus from the tomb. Don’t let this time zip by, like speeding drivers on a highway. Enjoy the journey. You may be surprised at the opportunities that arise to grow closer to Christ along the way.
Today’s readings: Acts 3:1-10; Ps 105:1-2,3-4,6-7,8; Lk 24:13-35
