Journey language to describe the life of following Christ works well with theology, just as transformation language of theology works well to describe what happens to us when we travel.
God’s people have been on a journey from the time they “walked with God” in the garden to being sent out of the it. God sent Cain away to wander the earth but marked him so he would not be harmed. Noah could match and one up any journey story. Don’t even get me started talking about Abram and journeys.
Moses is synonomous with Exodus, climbing mountains–which, incidently, Jesus was very fond of doing in order to pray. David wrote Psalms while he fled, a journey of sorts that transformed him as generations on his right and left sought his life. Elijah the traveling prophet. Most prophets stayed on the move, going where God told them to go, speaking truth to power and the powerless where they were called.
Jonah. Nuff said.
Jesus called his disciples on a journey. Come, follow me. In Mark 8 he called them to pick up their cross and follow on a journey of transformation. Next Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up “to a high mountain” where is tranfigured before them–they see him in his glory like God, a sign to them to put fire in their bones and feet that would travel to tell about the Christ who had transformed them all.
I first heard journey language used in earnest at Woodmont in Nashville, and I was taken with it and find that it fits life and, well, my journey in Christ. Perhaps I’ve never explained the title of my blog . . . there ya go.
Your comments