CROSS ROADS Walking the Road Towards Easter A Companion Guide for the Season of Lent 2024
Lisa Bright & Richard McMahon
Cross Roads It’s time Past time To change To grow To act. Yet I linger Longer than I ought In the uncomfortable comforts Of what consumes My time My heart My home. At the crossroads All that is certain is Uncertainty... Gnawing my resolve. The way forward Hidden Painful Complex And yet alive with Life. And so I will Take heart Take courage Take the first step With You.
1st Sunday of Lent
Mark 1:12-15
The Spirit drove Jesus out into the wilderness and he remained there for forty days, and was tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and the angels looked after him. After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. ‘The time has come’ he said ‘and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.’
At the Crossroads Australian Olympic swimming veteran, Michael Klim, at the age of 40, was diagnosed with a disease causing progressive weakening and loss of feeling in the limbs. A pothole on life’s highway forces us to stop. Health issues may mean our body or mind don’t respond as they once did, relationships shift through death, distance or hurt, and our work, hobbies or volunteering may be disrupted. Such events may not seem large to others, but to us they matter: an extra ache in the joints, a troubled friend, a family crisis. Just prior to today’s scripture, Jesus is publicly recognised as the Son of God. Something significant has changed for Jesus, and he is driven by the Spirit into wilderness time. To continue forward on life’s highway is no longer possible. And so, we are invited to the crossroads. We cannot accelerate through the crisis, yet other options reveal themselves. In the scriptures, Jesus is “tested by Satan”. At the crossroads, we may give up, becoming victim to whatever life has thrown at us. We may give in, to whatever addiction or behaviour will mask us from the truth of what is happening. We may give over, offering our agency to another, becoming child-like. This is sometimes needed but can lead to unhealthy dependence. 6
Jesus shows us another way. The word “wilderness” in ancient Hebrew describes both an “empty place” and the verb “to speak”. Walking the road to the Cross with Jesus, we journey into what is empty or different in us. What are the possibilities as we listen to our self, to God, to others? Sometimes, we receive grace to forgive ourselves, saying, “it’s okay… I did the best I could.” Or, “I stumbled… but that doesn’t define me.” We may also be moved to forgive others. We may seek to re-give our self, to offer our self in a new way. We may not be able to change our circumstances but can change our approach. Michael Klim says, “It’s hard accepting that my identity will no longer be reliant on my athletic ability. I now need to find a new mindset and mental toughness to allow me to overcome and accept this new challenge.” Michael has gone on to be an advocate for promoting research into his disease to benefit others. Crossroads are inevitable. May we be afforded the grace to pause, and step into wilderness time, with good friends – good angels – to accompany us, as we seek to regift ourselves in our new reality. Paths change, but God remains, and our destination is always to be one with God and others. In your Reflection What crossroads are you experiencing in life at the moment? What are the new possibilities that may be opening up? In your Quiet Are you holding on to a hurt or guilt? What advice would you give to someone who shared a similar hurt or guilt with you? Explore with Jesus your pathway to self-forgiveness. In your Activity How might you re-give your self this week?
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Monday
Matthew 25:31-46
“When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?” We all encounter people we know with whom we have an uncomfortable relationship. Have we sometimes pretended not to see them? Christ the stranger is sometimes closer than we want to believe. In your Quiet - Where do I struggle to see Christ in the other?
Tuesday
Matthew 6:7-15
“Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Everyone needs something in life - quiet time, wisdom to make good decisions, a holiday! Whatever our needs and our thoughts about them, God invites us to share our needs with an open heart, attentive to God’s voice in response. In your Quiet - Be honest with God about your needs for today.
Wednesday
Luke 11:29-32
“For just as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation.” The saying, “you have to see it to believe it” is a challenge when it comes to seeing Jesus in the flesh in our time. We hear the stories of Jesus but we haven’t seen him in action. Or have we? We are Jesus’ hands and feet in our time. In your Quiet - How am I being Jesus’ hands and feet in the world?
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Stations of the Cross 1. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus grieves so intensely, he sweats blood. We grieve the loss of a loved one, the loss of a friendship, the loss of health, of the ability to work and make a difference. Jesus, when I grieve, when I am in so much pain, may I know you are with me. May I be gentle on myself, seek the time and support I need, and recognise you weep with me. 2. Jesus is Betrayed by Judas and Arrested The betrayal of friendship and love turns our hearts to ash. Jesus, when my heart breaks, and when I hurt others, may I recognise you in the wounded relationship. Grant me honesty, respect and openness to forgive and be forgiven. 3. Jesus is Condemned by the Sanhedrin Jesus’ religious leadership rejects him. Our society and world condemns through action and inaction. There are those who are the privileged, and those who go without. They are judged unworthy of enjoying the dignity and equality others take for granted. Jesus, open my eyes, my ears, my heart, my life, to those who are pushed aside. May I be your loving hands, and compassionate heart. 4. Jesus is Denied by Peter Peter wept when he realised his denial. Jesus would later reclaim him after his resurrection. Jesus, you seek me out even when I do not believe in myself or you anymore. May I be attentive to your gentle knock on the door of my heart when I am most in need, and be willing to open my life to you.
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