Preview(S): The Journey...But the GPS said turn...

    Never underestimate the human capacity for hardheaded foolishness.  Let me share the following true story with you.  

It can be nerve-racking to drive a car in unfamiliar territory, but in March of 2012, a group of Tokyo students in Australia deserved every bit of that traditional tourist anxiety and embarrassment - and then some. When they ignored common sense to follow the counter-intuitive instructions on their GPS , they wound up smack in the middle of Moreton Bay. The tourists were trying to navigate between two islands along a channel route when they got stuck in the water. Fortunately, it was low tide. What happened? Student Yuzu Noda said the GPS "...told us we could drive down there. It kept saying it would navigate us to a road. We got stuck... There's lots of mud." 

To be clear, they could see that they were driving into the water. They could see that there was no road.  They could tell that the GPS was directing them to the middle of the bay, but the little voice on their GPS said to keep going...so they did. Now, I have to admit to being a fan of GPS and I have written complimentary blog posts right here about how the system works but I would like to think that given the opportunity to do so I would not blindly follow the little voice into a large body of water.  

    Now, I can see this happening to me.  The driver of this bus was using GPS, and even though he knew he was driving an eleven foot

tall bus, and the bridge said clearance nine foot...but the GPS said to proceed under the bridge...so he did. In the process he sheered a couple of feet off the top of his bus. Fortunately no one was hurt...except the driver's pride...and safe driving record. For the record the tallest portion of that archway is in fact twelve feet, which is the data provided the GPS map company.  It's just that archways are by nature shorter on the sides and taller in the middle.  This is something the little voice in the box could not have possibly comprehended...but the driver should have. 

    When I was a kid this was what GPS looked like: the AAA Triptik.  If you have never seen one of these chances are you are under the age of thirty.  If you are my age, or older, you know exactly what it is.  You could go to AAA and tell them your start point and destination.  The company would then print you out a custom map that highlighted just your route over the highways and country roads that matched your travel preferences.  As a born traveler I remember being a kid and the joy that seeing one of these brought. A triptik meant that a family vacation somewhere new was just around the corner.  I used to study the towns and cities that we would pass on the pages of maps in the triptiks scanning for interesting little facts that AAA might have included.  By the time a trip would come around I would have the route virtually memorized. This served two useful purposes:  it engaged my imagination, and it kept me from asking "are we there yet" since I knew exactly when we would be there.  This was, in many ways, superior to GPS although nowhere near as convenient.  One way or another we never followed a map into a bay.  I worry sometimes that our most recent generations are losing their ability to navigate as they rely on the voice in the box to tell them where to go. 

    
    Of course our ancient ancestors would consider our reliance on crutches like triptiks and maps to be a sign that humans are regressing in our ability to navigate.  For them all they needed was the sun and a few stars and they could find their way from place to place even across the ocean. Their form of navigation relied on wit, wisdom, and a whole lot of trust in God to keep them safe from the unknown.  The Psalmist writes:

Psalm 31:1-4In you, O LORD, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me. You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake lead me and guide me, take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge.

    They may have not been worried about driving into a bay, but they knew life was full of unknown, and unknowable obstacles. Life could lead you into "the net that is hidden for me" in no time flat.  Even with all their skill with navigation and path-finding they knew that the best directions were ones that came from a reliable guide.  This is why they knew they needed God to lead and guide them.  
    The disciples were not always skilled at following Jesus. More than once they set out on their own and did not fare so well.  Jesus always was there to help set them back on the right path, explain the right way to do things, or even to smack down the occasional storm on the sea.  Travel with Jesus was always a matter of following the good guide and trusting his way.  So, when Jesus was preparing the  disciples for his inevitable death he tried to comfort them with these words: 

John 14:1-4Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 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? 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. And you know the way to the place where I am going.

It is Jesus' intent to comfort the disciples with this knowledge but it just confuses the disciple Thomas who states, "But Lord, we don't know the way!"  Typical Thomas, blurting out what everyone else was thinking but was too polite/intimidated to say. 

   That is humanity all over.  With all our skill at navigation, maps, triptiks, GPS, etc...We live most of our lives somewhat lost feeling.  Like the Psalmist who worried about "hidden nets" we all know that life is full of unknown and unknowable dangers. We all find ourselves standing at crossroads of unthinkable complexity in which no certain direction seems to take us where we want to go. Where do we go and what direction do we take?  This is Thomas' real question.  He wants Jesus to lay out a simple triptik for him to follow but Jesus instead does something the surpasses the value of a star navigation, maps, triptiks, or even GPS.  He offers himself as a guide on our way.  

    He assures his disciples that the way to come to the Father is through him.  Even though he may not be with them in physical form he promises that the way that he will create will be one from which no one can get lost as it will be generated by the very blood of Christ.  When on a journey the only thing better then a map is an experienced guide, one who has already made the journey and come back to lead you through. This is what Jesus promises to do for his disciples...and for us as well. He lead the way from life to death, and death back to life so that me might lead us likewise.
    If all that sounds too easy just remember those students who

drove their car into Moreton Bay. Humans have a way of losing their directions, even when following sound instructions.  Part of this is because we always want to find a way that seems right to us.  God's ways are not our own.  This is why we need our guide who knows God's ways so we can follow him. If you have reached a point in your life where all your ways seem to lead to nowhere, or worse yet, there don't seem to be any options left for

you to follow remember this: Christ has built a path for you to come into the Kingdom of God.  His path is paved with his love for you.  The way has been cleared by this sacrifice for you.  If the directions are complex or simple doesn't matter because he has sent the very Holy Spirit of God into your heart that you may have God's constant guidance.  This journey that we are on leads us from death to life.  
    And I want to be clear about this:  though this text (John 14) is the single most popular text to use at a funeral because it reminds us that God has a place at the end of our lives ready for us, the life Jesus offers to lead you and me into is not something far off and unseen. The life Jesus offers us is more than the last chapter in the story of our lives.  Jesus is leading us into new life every single day. Jesus provides the way to live life every day...his witness, his grace, his mercy, his love, his example, his sacrifice, his wisdom all lead us to live life today in the unseen, but very real and present, Kingdom of God.  The world may not see the map we have in the scriptures, but we do.  The world may not hear the voice of the Holy Spirit whispering directions in our heart, but we do.  The world may not see the path Jesus opened from death to life by the power of the forgiveness won by his blood, but we do.  But...of course the world does not see these things...if it did would it be as lost as it is? We are not lost, we know the way and the way knows us. 
    This week take a moment and look at the path you are currently following.  Look at the direction your life is going in and ask yourself: "am I driving into the bay?"  If the answer is yes, and for most of us it usually is, remember that you have a savior who is calling you to come and follow him because he IS the way.  

    Thank you for reading and, if you enjoyed it, please hit the "subscribe" at the top of the page. As always, please remember to share and leave a comment. Thanks again. God Bless.


Pastor Rus.