Locusts and Wild Honey

The Emergent Pilgrim

Friday, January 28th, 2005 | General

The Bible speaks of the Christian life as a “walk.” (Romans 6:4, Romans 8:1, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 6:16, Ephesians 5:2, Colossians 1:10, Colossians 2:6, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 John 1:7, 1 John 2:6, 2 John 4, 3 John 4, Revelation 3:4) I like John Bunyan’s pilgrim metaphor. I walk a journey with a destination. Wonder and discovery explode at every turn - if I keep walking.

I see two deep ditches on either side of the road. To my right stands a plastic tree dripping with wax-fruit. A posted sign reads, “I have all the answers - Rest Here.” The gully leads to a lifeless stagnant Christian life. To my left hangs a circus style banner, “No Truth Exist.” The steep drop-off falls into a cloudy abyss of frustration, futility, and hopelessness. God’s overcoming grace compels me to keep walking the path. I hear a still small voice, “Ecclesia Reformata et semper reformanda.” It urges me forward. I have a community of faith around me to help me along - and a flaming fire before us, to light our way. We have not arrived yet, but with weak legs we walk on.

Scattered along the road, I encounter fantastic visions that cause my mind to question and wonderfully clear markers of certainty that can only be seen with blurry eyes of faith. Underfoot, the journey begins with a firm ground assurance that the pathway a Christian travels is Christ himself. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father but by me.” Overhead, spans a wide expansive sky of God’s sovereignty. His mysterious providence permeates the air I breathe. With full lungs, I keep walking…

2 Comments to The Emergent Pilgrim

Tim
1/28/2005

Great post. I enjoyed that one! Incidentally, that is a very thorough and very good statement of faith at your church’s web site.

The Crusty Curmudgeon
1/28/2005

Friday in the wild - Jan. 28, 2005
This week I exercised my personal prerogative and added the just-started blog of Don Elbourne, Locusts and Wild Honey, to my blogroll.

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