People of the Way
Scripture Reading — Acts 9:1-9; 22:4; 24:14
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
In an old German fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel use white pebbles to mark their path so they can try to find their way home. Today we can use a handheld GPS with pre-loaded maps. In fairy tales and in real- life hikes through the wilderness, knowing the way home is a good thing—sometimes a matter of life and death!
The first Christians identified themselves as followers of “the Way.” It fits with Jesus’ reply to Thomas: “I am the way and the truth and the life.” Jesus is the living route to safety, to wholeness, to self-control, to rest, to undying life, and to the magnificent love of our Creator. All other routes bring us back to being lost.
People of the Way were completely convinced of this. They shone like white pebbles marking the path to life. Yes, this is our Father’s world. Yes, every inch of the universe belongs to the risen Lord. The first Christians affirmed this too (Acts 4:24; 17:24-31), but they never underestimated this present darkness or our new exodus in Christ. They were not people who had arrived but people who were on the way. There’s a big difference between these two points of view, in attitude and in mission.
What if you thought of yourself as a living compass that always points people to Christ, the way home? Who in your life needs to see that in you, even now?
Father, forgive us for not holding high the lamp that can guide people living in darkness. Shape us anew as people of the Way. Amen.
About the author — Norm Prenger
Rev. Norm Prenger is a graduate of Calvin Theological Seminary. He pastored churches in Alberta and British Columbia before he was disabled by a heart attack and a post-operative stroke. He now lives with his wife, Gwen, near Thunder Bay, Ontario. He enjoys fishing, writing, drumming, and encouraging his fishing partners and neighbors to follow Jesus.
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