“Following the Way”
John 14: 1-14 & Psalm 31: 1-5, 15 & 16 ~ Northwood UC ~ May 7, 2023
Do you ever feel lost? In need of guidance? Uncertain of which direction to follow? Do you see many
signposts and wonder which one is ‘right’ for you? Guiding you? Directing you in ‘the right path?’ This,
of course, occurs during the challenging / difficult times in life: navigating the grief journey, choosing a
course of study…moving ahead in one’s career path…moving into retirement…or in the day-in-day-
out ebbs and flows of life. Truth be told, we all look for guidance and direction. We all seek certainty
as we look at the myriad of paths in front of us.
This morning’s text that Gwen read for us is one such example of receiving a sign post. To back up a
little, Jesus is amidst John’s version of his ‘farewell discourse’. Jesus is saying goodbye and offering
guidance for his followers in the chapters that will lie ahead. You know the story: following Judas’
betrayal, Jesus informs them that his days with them are short. He will be with them only but a few
days longer. Peter has asks the question (that we would all ask): “if you are not going to be with us
any longer, then where are you going. How can we maintain an ongoing relationship with you, Jesus
– our Lord, our shepherd, our friend”. And then, of course, there is Thomas (whom we are so grateful
to have mixed among the 12). Thomas asks the doubting questions that so few of us have the faith
and honesty to ask: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” All of a
sudden, this ancient text has so much enduring meaning in our lives, doesn’t it? We want to know the
way; we want assurance of the Way; we want clarity on the Way where we should be going.
And to this uncertainty, Jesus offers this morning’s wonderful teaching. His words of farewell. No
different, than others before him: Socrates’ farewell as recorded by Plato; Moses’ farewell to the
Israelites approaching the Promised land. So many others following Jesus who would offer their own
words of final farewell: Paul offering a farewell to the church elders at Ephesus in Acts. Martin Luther
King would offer his farewell address. And in your own family, perhaps loved ones have offered theirs
as family gather around the deathbed. These are Jesus’ words of farewell, according to John.
Now, there is so much rich theological meat here for us to deal with here. Or, if you are vegetarian,
some hearty nutrient rich veggies. And I know that our Bible Study truly ‘dug into’ this text earlier this
week. So, I want to lift up a few threads for us to consider. Firstly, the thread of Jesus being: ‘The
Way, the truth and the life.’ The earliest followers of Jesus came to understand themselves as
‘followers of The Way’. The Way of Christ, for them, was one filled with the truth and the fullness of
life. The Way of Christ leads them, connects them, unites them with the power and wonder of God.
Jesus explains how he becomes an intermediary between God and God’s creation…us! We cannot
take in the full power and wonder of God! Yet through Christ, we can understand (a bit) of the
sacrificial, loving, grace-filled way of God.
So, following that brief theological survey of John 14’s introduction of Jesus as “the Way”, I want to
take you with me for a pilgrimage to Europe for a quick 780 km walk on the Camino de Santiago
which is also called “The Way of St. James”. The Way. James, of course, is one of Jesus’ early
disciples. He is one of the 12. You know the story…Jesus is walking along the seashore and the first
ones he calls to leave their nets and follow are: Peter, James and John. James followed, and after
Jesus’ death he was one of the first evangelists spreading the Gospel of Jesus in the earliest of days.
Knowing that pilgrimage takes you through much of Northern Spain, you can likely guess where
James’ ministry took him…he went to Spain to share the good news of Jesus with the Spanish
people. After James was beheaded for this work, his body was later placed to rest in the Galician
community of Santiago de Compostela. When James’ remains were discovered, the magnificent
cathedral of Santiago de Compostela was created. And since medieval times, this pilgrimage has
been walked. It has been walked by St. Francis of Assissi. Various popes and other religious leaders
have walked it. Kings and Queens, scientists like Stephen Hawking, and little old me!
“The Way of the Camino” is walked by 350,000 people each year, all of us seeking a deeper clarity in
their lives of ‘the Way’. A deeper understanding of the Way and how it will guide them into their
journey ahead. Some of you already knew this. But, I had no idea how truly powerful walking can be
as a spiritual practice. It has now become increasingly important to me. The practice of walking 20-40
kilometres per day as you are venture through picturesque Spanish forest, as you wander through
tiny hamlet villages, as you go into cathedrals and tiny churches to pray and meditate is profoundly
powerful and life changing. Something happens to you as body fluidly walks and the spirit works in
and through you. It might be akin to the difference between having a quick soak in the tub or having a
long bath with candles, soft music and a devotional reading...soaking in the Spirit. What I found was
that the Way of the Camino would teach me what I needed to learn; it will surprise you; it will guide
and shape you further into a disciple of Jesus Christ…a follower of the Way.
One of the beautiful parts of the Camino are the people. We all follow the Way of the Camino for our
own reasons: grief and healing, deeper clarity, wisdom, faith. And meeting people along the way
became a true blessing for me. Faith is not a 1 player game, and when 2 or 3 gather we provide the
opportunity for Christ to show up. One such place Christ arrived was at dinner. While I never fully
adjusted to the Spanish rhythm of a late meal time, people in the village would gather for a late night
‘pilgrim’s meal’ and we would eat, and eat, and drink wine and share in the richness of life. We would
be partners on the Way. Nourishing our bodies from a long day of walking; nourishing our souls from
a lifetime of seeking the Way. We would be at table filled with people from almost every continent in
the world united by our common yearning to find ‘the Way’ in our unique age and stage, as we took
our pilgrimage – day by day, by day. Looking for the Way.
As a pastor, I have the honour of hearing so many of your stories of seeking ‘the Way’ in your life.
You walk seeking clarity, seeking guidance, seeking healing, seeking truth. And whether you put on
hiking boots and walk 800 km’s (and I would note that just over 10% of the pilgrims on the Camino
are over 60 – so it’s never too late!). But whether we walk physically or spiritually, the important thing
is that we walk our journey, continuing to find our way. The text before us that Gwen read lifts up the
confusing practice. It is hard to find ‘the Way’ with so many competing, shiny, appealing options.
Jesus’ Way is a challenging call to sacrificial living; living the way of love and justice and compassion.
It is a Way that brings a wonder and depth to life like no other. But it is has never been an easy Way
to follow!
Yet, the promise made by Jesus is that it, indeed, is great and powerful. The ones who follow in ‘the
Way’, Jesus says, will do greater works because we are strengthened and empowered by God.
Strengthened and empowered through Christ, who goes ahead, who prepares a place for You, and is
our advocate, our intercessor, our shepherd on the Way. Jesus connects us with God, and we
receive God’s power to do the works that God needs for healing and hope in this hurting world!
There is a deeply meaningful greeting / blessing that is shared between pilgrims who walk the
Camino (and for those of us who will continue to walk it in our memories). The greeting is “buen
Camino”, which rougly means “good way”. May you have a ‘good way’ we would bless one another.
And as I heard this blessing from so many others through my pilgrimage (and as I offered it to others),
it slowly ‘worked’ upon me…more-and-more…it became this deep spiritual draw to walk the good
way. I got to thinking…what might the world look like if, one day, we all were to offer that blessing,
that wish that we all would find ‘the Way’. What if we all might find the unique true path for us that
takes us through healing, and forgiveness, and hope and leads us to the heart-centre of God.
Thanks be to God, the one who sent Christ that we might have life in all of its abundance. That we
might find ‘our Way’ and be lead further into the heart of God.
Amen.