Emmaus Wisdom
By Katie Harmon-McLaughlin of Walnut Creek, CA, USA
Rise up, O LORD, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,
and over it take your seat on high….
O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
but establish the righteous,
you who test the minds and hearts,
O righteous God.
God is my shield,
who saves the upright in heart. -Psalm 7:6-7, 9-10 NRSV
Let what is mourning and fearful within you be suddenly aware that what you most long for has been walking beside you, living and breathing and speaking for miles.
We can make it to Emmaus awareness if we are willing to let go of what is dying. But some of us are still in the garden with swords drawn, defenses alert, even as Jesus commands us to put them down. Some of us are at the foot of the cross, others at the tomb. Still others are behind locked doors in disbelief, anguish, and fear asking, “What now?”
Still others are walking the roads of everyday life where what we thought had perished appears beside us though we cannot yet see. In the walking our hearts are filled with fire. In a memory made real-the breaking of bread-we recognize the Living Christ in surprisingly new, yet consolingly, familiar form. Just a glimpse and he is gone. But a glimpse is enough to restore hope, to restore sight.
The knowing in our bones is this: nothing will be the same now, even though the future is filled with surprising familiarity amid uncertainty.
We have everything we need to walk ahead, and what we need to know we will learn on the way. The way itself will be lined with sacred memory. Each encounter will be new and ancient. A deep wisdom will arise, the treasure of tradition guiding our way if we have courage to access it. Our ancestors whisper their stories in our hearts as we put one trembling foot before the other.
Exile
Liberation
Wandering in the desert
Manna from heaven
A new land and a new life
Trust
And now this:
Death
Waiting fearfully
Walking blindly
Breaking bread with a stranger who is the Living Christ.
Resurrection sight.
Do you feel even now our hearts burning within us as we walk along this road?
Prayer Phrase
Spirit, now live in me.
Spiritual Practice
Breathe deeply and enter a few minutes of silence. Be attentive to where you sense new life emerging in you. Search your memories of the previous day. When did you notice the sacredness of life in surprising places or forms in the world around you?
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
