...journeying

So yesterday’s blog got me thinking about colour, light and rainbows. The un-expectation of a Rainbow brings such a sense of delight, hope and of course reaffirms the spiritual – promise of a world that God would never again destroy.

However despite the overwhelming sense of optimism that a rainbow brings; the cessation of rain in the face of sun, positive legend around hope found at the end of a rainbow and the pure joy of seeing the full colour spectrum displayed across the sky – the sense that reaching or touching the rainbow is unattainable always feels disappointing to me.

So, maybe the rainbow is a visual representation of man’s constant strive to reach perfection – Utopia, Heaven…with the reality that the journey to get there, is important in even hoping that the acquisition is a possibility.

In our society journeys are always pitched as part of the whole, an experience to enjoy, it’s not all about the destination. A Winnebago holiday travelling from East to West across the USA, a trip on the Orient Express through Europe or perhaps a cruise around the Caribbean. The arrival is less important than experiencing the journey. The journey itself being a life changing experience.

However for some of the world’s poorest people journeys are absolutely about the final destination. Journeys are often undertaken as a result of necessity – hunger, flood, earthquake, destruction and/or disorder. The end of the journey signals a haven, where food, medicine and relative safety can be found.

So I recognise that whatever my life is like, I am actually privileged enough to be in a position to absorb, learn and ‘enjoy’ my life experience. That the rainbow is something I am unable to grasp but the joy experienced in trying to attain and live the journey is really important to me.

Many biblical stories are about God revealing himself to and within us during the journey. Moses’ meeting with God through the burning bush in the desert and Paul’s many missionary journeys where the good news of Jesus was shared and Paul set up the Christian church across the Mediterranean.

My Christian beliefs keep me mindful that my final destination is dependent on my life choices. I’m sure these will not always be right but God knows and probably expects that. However asking, praying and trying to journey in God’s direction is the best I can do. And if life was only about the destination God would not have created me or given me free choice.

My life is full of the echo of journeying, I want to keep it that way and to learn and enjoy those that journey along with me.

“If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go”

The Calling “I’ll go wherever you will go”

http://youtu.be/aRCNZ8JALms