Journey to the Cross

Pause

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on our world.

Listen

The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.

Genesis 3:6-7

Think

First off, there is nothing to the order of who eats first. Both are guilty. To suggest one is somehow more guilty for going first, well, that doesn’t hold up when you look at the whole scriptural story – which is part of our job as Christians.

With that out of the way, I want to remind us that there are many things in this world that are beautiful and delicious. There are also many ways to gain wisdom. But that doesn’t mean that those are the roads on which we should travel. I have heard those really interesting testimonies where the person has tried a bit of everything and then later hit rock bottom and learned wisdom from that path. Well, while it kept my attention, I wouldn’t wish that wisdom trip on anyone.

God’s path is much simpler. God says, “Follow me, do good, care for your neighbor, take a break every seventh day, and when you make a mistake, admit it to yourself and to me, and then move on.” Not bad advice…

David Burroughs

Pray

God, help me to take the simple path you offer. Help me to accept that you love me already, before I say or do anything. Help me to accept that you love me, even when I say and do horrible things. I claim to be a follower of your way. Claim me, as I claim you. Amen.

Go

May God give you grace never to sell yourself short; grace to risk something big for something good; grace to remember that the world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small for anything but love.

William Sloane Coffin