As we enter the supermarket, if permitted out of the house these days, we need to follow the way. One out of the shop, then one can enter the shop. Keep 2 metres apart and follow the flow around the store until the checkout, then watch that separation!
There is so much these days about following guidelines or ‘the way‘.
In Buddhism “the way” is the climax of the “four noble truths”. In Christanity the first name was for those that followed “the way” (Acts 9.2)
Jesus also spoke of the way, in more ways than I had initially thought!
There is the broad way and the narrow way; the foolish way and the wise way; the way of death and the way of life. As Borg comments “one is to be left behind, the other embarked upon“. Sometimes it is the ‘road less travelled‘. I am struck today by a blog from a wonderful Benedictine Nun, aka Digital Nun, who spoke of her eventual death with ..
“Can it really be so lonely to tread a path many have travelled before?”
Sister Catherine Blog
In Islam, the Quran and the sunnah form a the body of literature which discusses and prescribes the traditional customs and practices of the Islamic community. The Sunnah is also defined as “a path, a way, a manner of life“.
Jesus and his followers also followed a Way: Judaism, a framework of life within the Jewish tradition. Some followed it intently, such as the Pharisees, making purity their watchword. The Essenes also focussed upon purity but they needed to withdraw from society – possibly a bit like we are all doing: except for the #BorisWalk and the shopping trip.
As we approach Easter, we may wish to think of the Resurrection and life beyond death. It’s odd really as the prayer that everyone, well a lot of people know, is the Lord’s Prayer, and that speaks of Earth more than Heaven.
“Your kindom come on Earth, as it is in Heaven.” As Crossan said once: “heaven’s in great shape – earth is where the problems are”
John Dominic Crossan
That’s followed by “Give us our daily bread“. For Jesus, as a peasant, bread was a central survival theme.
In the Sermon on the Mount, one of Jesus’ many one-liners or aphorisms was “Blessed are you that are hungry now, for you will be filled“
I wonder whether this Easter, an Easter which looks like no one I have can recall recently, our focus could be upon the radical Resurrection of justice: justice for those who are marginalised here on Earth, justice for those that are hungry, the homeless, those who have lost their jobs, those who have been furloughed, those who are key workers who can’t get to the shops, those in that particular age group or with an indentifiable illness and are cucooned: may they know that they are blessed.
Perhaps this might be a pivotal moment for some to see that there is a different way, one where the person is the focus, not the business, not the economy but that person who may overlook, walk past but is loved by God…and us.