"The root of religion is what to do with awe, wonder, and amazement."
Abraham Heschel
In his mostly weekly letter, the rector of my church challenged our congregation to name ten moments over the past twelve months in which we felt as if we were truly behaving as a Christian, or truly in a relationship with Jesus Christ or truly in conversation with God through prayer. He called us to take a look at our spiritual lives, to take an inventory so to speak, and in so doing, to live into our call to live as the Christ lived.
For the Christian on the pilgrim way, this exercise is one that helps us prayerfully consider those markers on the road—not unlike those markers on the Pilgrim’s Walk to Holy Island. Warning signs urge visitors walking to the island to keep to the marked path and for good reason. The high tide cuts travel to and from the island off twice each day. Cars are all too often stranded on the causeway because tourists do not pay attention to the tidal charts. As Christian pilgrims, we are called to pay attention to the markers, but to also seek shelter and guidance when we need help on the journey.
I find it ironically amusing that each of those questions posed by my priest addresses a component of the Cursillo Movement’s reunion process. Called the group reunion—when a small group of friends who have been through a Cursillo weekend gather to share their piety, study and action—this weekly or bi-weekly meeting of seekers helps us keep each other strong on the pilgrim way. In sharing our piety, we also share “our moment closest to Christ.”
So here goes. The first moment that comes to mind when I felt that I was truly in conversation with God was at Mass in the cathedral in Galway, Ireland. I journeyed there with a group of pilgrims this past summer, and my mother was among those pilgrims. We happened upon the mid-day celebration of the Eucharist at the Catholic Cathedral, and I felt drawn to participate in the liturgy. As I knelt at the back of the last pew, I realized my mom was kneeling beside me. Her joining me in prayer in a Catholic service was a profound experience since my mom is a member of a much more Protestant expression of our faith. I went up for communion, and stayed through the closing prayers, then we walked back to our bus stopping for lunch on the way. Galway and the cathedral there is definitely one of the markers on my pilgrim journey.
Another experience that marks my journey happened much earlier this year, in fact, in January at my daughter’s wedding. Near the end of the reception, after she had changed into her going away dress and was about ready to depart, we somehow met in the middle of the dance floor in each other’s arms. She said, “I love you Mommy!” and of course my response was “I love you, too, baby girl.” And before I knew it she was gone. That was a moment that I realized our mutual relationship with Jesus Christ gave us the strength to know that our relationship is just like God’s relationship to us—that of a loving parent with a loving child.
When a student of mine looks to me for guidance outside of the subject matter of my classroom, I also recognize that I am truly behaving as a Christian. I may not have all the answers that a young man or woman needs to the problems or issues faced in life, but I can listen and try to offer words that will heal and support them in their journey. One student in particular, a young Jewish man, has become one of those students that I will remember as making a significant impression on me.
Other experiences that I consider marking my journey by affirming my relationship with Jesus include beginning a house church with my husband so that people might come to worship in a “church without walls.” I’d also include the many times I’ve been outside in God’s natural cathedral to sit and admire the natural beauty that God has given us. I find it easiest to enter into prayer and to know God’s presence when I am sitting by a mountain creek or gazing at layer after layer of blue hills. I feel close to God in those moments, and they are moments that stay with me long after I’ve come indoors or returned to work in a concrete building. I’d also count this blog—my electronic journal, if you will—as a way to honor my relationship with God.
The intention of looking at the spiritual markers in our lives is to know that it’s not an accident when we get signs and directions from the Divine Mystery. Like the markers on the way to Holy Island, we have guides that keep us on the pathway and help us to stay away from those activities that block our homeward journey. I am grateful for those moments closest to Christ, and while they cannot be sustained constantly, behaving as a Christian—being in relationship with Jesus Christ—will help bring us to our sacred destination.
