Recognizing Christ is With Us
Many years ago an old and dear friend was in a bad accident. The worst injury he sustained was to his femur. The femur is the largest, strongest bone in your body, and this guy was in his 30’s and an athlete, so he was in very good shape. But the force of the crash was so strong that it broke his femur in a way his surgeon said was more typical of pilots after a crash landing. Imagine breaking a stick not from bending it but from pushing on either end of it.
So, they had to put a steel rod in to stabilize his leg. After a few months of intensive rehabilitation, he was back to his old self. Everything was fine. He was able to do whatever he wanted to do, including running. And everything remained fine until he started training for a marathon. I’ve never run one, but one thing I’ve learned from others is that a marathon will expose any weakness you may have.
Our friend’s hip began to hurt. He got it checked out and, sure enough, the metal rod in his leg was causing problems with his hip. He got that sorted out and is healthy again. He just chooses other ways to exercise and other ways to challenge himself.
What is true for our physical bodies is true for our minds and our spirits. We can think and feel like everything is ok, or at least close enough to ok. But when intense pressure comes, we find out how strong we really are. We are under a great deal of stress and pressure right now. Everyone and everything is subject to it, from our physical health to every social structure we have including the various levels of government, our medical system, our economy and financial systems – everything.
And it is putting stress on our families. It may well be robbing you and your family of peace. Under that stress, our weaknesses are being exposed. How do we adapt mentally, physically and spiritually to these circumstances?
With that in mind, let’s join these disciples on their way to Emmaus. On that first Easter they were under tremendous pressure and they were, frankly, breaking. Our translation says they were discussing it, but a more literal translation would be that they were throwing it back and forth. This is an intense time for them. They are very likely scared like the other disciples, but instead of locking themselves in a room they are getting out of town.
There will come a time when they will again leave Jerusalem talking about Jesus, but this is a false start at best. It’s false because they are going too soon. Their knowledge and understanding are incomplete. What do they know?
- Jesus is a rabbi, teacher and healer.
- That he died and Jerusalem is dangerous for them.
- They’ve heard the testimony of the women that Jesus was raised from the dead, but that is blowing their minds and they cannot make sense of it.
- They are nervous, tense and anxious.
What don’t they know? They don’t truly know or understand who Jesus was and what he meant to them and to the world until he told them after he was raised from the dead. Jesus himself, after his resurrection, put his life and ministry in context with their scripture, their history as a people of God and their present circumstances.
And after he does, they reverse course, start going the right direction and start sharing what Jesus himself taught them with the other disciples.
We are walking through very confusing times and it is hard to know what to do. I come in from the grocery store and first wash my hands. Then we wipe down what we’ve bought. And then I retrace my steps to wipe down door handles and light switches – all the way to wiping down the outside of the container that holds the wipes. Then I want to wipe down the wipes. (I have to admit, all of it has been harder for me to adapt to than for Meg. That may sound funny, but it’s not really. She’s immunocompromised. My mistakes create avoidable risks for her.)
So we’re confused and throwing all of the medical and economic and political sides of this back and forth. It is dizzying to keep up with it all and it all changes every day as we learn more about every aspect of this virus, its spread, and our ever-adapting responses to it. I’d love to sort all that out for you. I can’t. But we do have some lessons here:
First, we are not alone. No matter what your living circumstance is, you may be very isolated, you are not alone. God is with you. He is with you whether or not you can feel him. He is with you whether or not you can see him. He is with you whether or not you recognize him.
Second, Christ is with you. We put a lot of emphasis on knowing Him in the breaking of the bread. Our liturgy relives Christ’s instructions, remembering his words and bringing us to that moment of his provision of himself. Now, because of these awkward circumstances, I stand here for you week by week, but he is with you wherever you are. He was with those disciples well before they knew it was him. Trust that.
Third, we are in a marathon. When and where our weaknesses and inadequacies are exposed by this marathon, or life in general, take the time to get a good handle on them, diagnose them. Then set about to heal, to rehabilitate them as much as you can, and adapt. Try not to push too hard where you really shouldn’t. Be gentle and forgiving with each other.
And remember as you’re throwing all this back and forth, and it is really distressing, to look for Christ in the breaking of the bread. Look for him in everything. He wants to get us moving in the right direction. We all have opportunities to make things better, and we’ve got to know him so that we know the right direction, we make Him known.
AMEN