Going Somewhere?

Someone once asked, “How long does it take a 
runner in top condition to run from rim to rim
across the Grand Canyon?”  Reply: “A runner 
in top condition might do it in less than three
hours.  But you must remember, a runner in
top condition can run past all the paintings in
the Louvre in sixty seconds.”   

 
We’re in the heart of vacation season.  “Going somewhere this summer?” is a familiar question asked by friends and neighbors now that things are more open than they were last year.  Until recently with staycations, summertime had always offered opportunities get away, see new places or return to old ones and experience life with family and friends in ways different from the usual daily routine.  “Going somewhere” can be quite invigorating and exciting or it may be very relaxing and renewing.  
 
Going somewhere is important to everyone whether it is a road trip or life in general – but the opening thought reminds us that the pace at which we go can be quite significant.  Some people are greatly directed toward tomorrow.  Getting there is what’s important.  It doesn’t seem to matter how much might be passed by along the way - the destination is what counts.  Other travelers are more aware of the total journey, taking each day as it comes, enjoying the unexpected, discovering beauty in the ordinary.
 
Some of us may not physically travel anywhere this summer.  Yet, as Christians, we are all on a journey - a trip that has God as our companion and God as our destination.  As part of the Neighborhood Church family, we have chosen one another as traveling companions so that as we grow together in faith we know we are not alone.
 
Over the course of our summer worship services, we are being blessed by the sharing of faith journeys offered by six of our members.  We are glimpsing into the lives of each other and seeing joy, struggle, celebrations, hardships, disappointments, fulfillment, doubt and renewed faith.  A running theme, which I suspect is true for most of us, is that God has been there - journeying with each of us with sustaining love and grace.
 
Steve Van Matre says, “Our destination is not to get there, but to be there.”  So I encourage you to take some time this August and enjoy the journey, resting assured that from the depths of our scripture tradition we can meditate on the words of the Psalmist, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
 
And that will be enough…

Rev. Dr. David D. Young
Senior Minister

This article appeared in The wave on August 4, 2021