John 14:6
There is a journey you must take. It is a journey without destination. There is no map. Your soul will lead you. And you can take nothing with you.
– Meister Eckhart
Christianity is not, in essence, a set of teachings, but a way of life. Christian faith is a vision of flourishing that bears witness to God’s love everywhere at work in the world. To say, “God is love” is neither sentimental nor facile; rather, it expresses the truth that God’s love is the ever-present, ever-active source and sustenance of all reality.
– Norman Wirzba
We are walking our way through Diana Butler Bass’s book Freeing Jesus this fall, as a way to consider who Jesus might be for each of us. So far we’ve talked about Jesus as friend, teacher, savior and lord. Today we’re looking at Jesus as the Way, as in our scripture, “I am the way the truth and the life.” Just a note about process: Next week we’re going to take a break and celebrate All Saints’ Day. In preparation for that, I’d like you to think about people in your life, living or in eternity, who represent the love of God for you. We’re going to share some of those names next week during the message. Then we’ll finish Bass’s book before Advent.
Since we’re more than halfway through this project I’ve been reflecting on the overall themes emerging from many ways to think about Jesus. I’ve been surprised by how often I find myself saying, “This isn’t a formula, it’s an adventure.” In each of the ways we’ve looked at Jesus we’ve found that there isn’t a “right” answer to discover, but a relationship to be lived. As we’ve learned more about the first century experience of Jesus, both during his lifetime and after, we’ve discovered that being a disciple wasn’t like attending a training academy with a fixed curriculum. You didn’t go through the program and emerge a “Jesus person,” kind of like becoming a Marine after bootcamp. Instead Jesus invited people to live with him for a while and in the daily interaction of the community, they learned and grew into something more than when they started.
Often when we hear, “I am the way,” we understand that like a curriculum or a roadmap. You follow it, memorize the content, follow all the directions, and when you finish you arrive, you graduate, you’ve got it. But Jesus didn’t have a scope and sequence or a final exam. His band of disciples walked between the villages and talked with people. He told stories and when he finished people weren’t sure what the stories meant. They had to talk it over and think about it. People asked questions and Jesus had to think about how to answer. They responded to the news of the day. They were all part of shaping what the ministry was becoming.
Meister Eckhart tells us that life with Jesus is a journey. The experiences you have along the way shape where the journey goes and what it means. I have a friend who used to put his family in the car and drive out of town on a small road, not the interstate. When they came to a stop sign, they had to choose – right, left, or straight. At each pause, they chose again. They never knew where they were going until they got there and all of them were a part of deciding the way.
Your journey with Jesus is like that. It’s not a fixed program you have to try to get right. It’s an experience and Jesus is your companion. The choices you make along the way, the times you learn something new or change your mind, are a part of the way. You are helping to create what it means for Jesus to be your way. Bass talks in each chapter about times in her life when her faith was quite different from what it is now. She spent years in very conservative churches, trying to follow the rules and get everything right. Her wisdom for us is that “right” isn’t a thing. There are many ways to follow Jesus, and no one can tell you what’s right for you. It’s not like hopping in the passenger seat and waiting for Jesus to drive you to the right place. It’s like taking the wheel, inviting Jesus to ride along, and working out together where you want to go. If one map doesn’t work so well, then try another. Have a conversation about what would work better and give it a try.
Those of you who have experienced good marriages know that the plan you started with isn’t the plan you followed. Life happens along the way. Your interests change. You try new jobs. You learn better ways of communicating. As you mature in your understanding of yourself, you mature in your relationship. No one dictates what will happen for everyone; you work it out together. Following Jesus is working out your life in conversation with him and with all the ways God speaks through people and circumstances so we can hear. We don’t always know where we’re going – but we know who we’re going with.
Long ago a young teacher told me that the problems of troubled youth would all be solved if we just posted the 10 commandments in the classroom and made everyone follow them. Jesus was very familiar with the 10 commandments, but when people asked him about the law, he didn’t quote the 10. Instead he said, “Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself.” I always thought that what troubled youth needed more was someone to love them, take them seriously and ask them where they wanted to go in life. Loving relationships don’t follow a formula; they evolve in conversation. Wirzba reminds us that Christianity isn’t following the rules – a map – it’s a way of life – a journey taken in company with God.
Jesus is God’s love made personal and real in our lives. If we are going to follow him, we’re going to have to watch for where love shows up. We’re going to have to let love direct us. We’re going to have to work out together how to be love in the world. Following Jesus as the way means waking up each day ready to see where love will take you. How love will show up when you need it. Who you will become when you let love guide you. The way isn’t a rulebook or a roadmap, it’s a process. It’s a journey you share, and Jesus is willing to share it with you if you ask him to.