The Way

Here we are in the fifth Sunday of Easter, and we no longer get rousing stories of Jesus resurrection. Instead, we are listening to part of Jesus’ final pep talk to the disciples as they and he prepare for the horrors that lies ahead. And we hear of Stephen being stoned. It somehow seems wrong. And it is also more real. The season of Easter is a time to pay attention to how the risen Christ is among us now and active in our world today. How do our readings help us in this work?

There is a lot of confusion in both John and Acts. The disciples are confused by what Jesus is talking about. They are afraid and want straightforward answers. Where is Jesus going and how can they follow? What is the way? And Jesus does not give straightforward answers. And yet so often we read this as if he is. Believe certain things about Jesus and you get into heaven. “Way” can be read in many ways, not just route. Another reading is that Jesus is talking about the way of life he has lived, a way of life that reveals the heart of God – a big theme in John’s gospel. When we live this way, we live the truth of God’s dream and hope for them and all creation; the dream and hope of abundant life. The first Christians were called people of the way – whose lives of compassion were in marked contrast to those around them. How does this help us see the risen Christ among us now and active in our world today?

Angela N. Parker says, “We must be people of the way, being the dream and hope of God, as we participate in abundant life while here on earth together…. Our greater works must exhibit the way, the truth, and the life for communities that continue to be disconnected and denied access to all of the areas that can bring abundant life such as quality food, access to medical care, affordable housing, and continued dignity no matter what their identities are. That is the way, the truth, and the life for a collective people with a singular heart.”[1]

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