‘Seeking Answers’

STUDY

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THE Bible is not a washing machine manual, a booklet in which words can only mean one thing. Scripture is a rich tapestry of myth, spirituality, liturgy and fragments of history. It is the Word of God and because of that it is eternally fertile. Biblical stories or faith narratives invite us inside: we are to step into the scene, seeing it and feeling it for ourselves. The possibility of inner change and personal renewal comes when the story ills our soul, our consciousness; when we are enveloped by it.

With eyes closed and imagination ready to blossom, we walk the Road to Emmaus. Situated seven miles from Jerusalem, Cleopas and his friend return home. While walking and discussing, Jesus draws near but they do not recognise Him. The structure of the story is similar to that of Nicodemus in John’s Gospel: a seemingly simplistic question is asked allowing the mystery of faith to unfold. Jesus explains all that the prophets have said. Later, when He is at the table with them, He takes bread, blesses and breaks it. Their eyes are opened and they say: ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while He was talking to us on the road?’ Once they ‘see’ Jesus, He vanishes from their sight.

In meditation, walk with Jesus along the Emmaus road. Be aware of His Presence at your side, and of the Shekinah within you, the Spirit in your soul. Hold this encounter in your mind and feel the calm of His Spirit. We are to gaze into Scripture with the eye of the heart. Was the disciple who accompanied Cleopas a woman, I wonder? They certainly invited Jesus to stay with ‘them’ and it was at their table that Jesus broke bread.

The Emmaus narrative is very similar to another mystical story: Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8).

The eunuch, whose name we never learn, was leaving Jerusalem and returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip approached the man and, invited in by the eunuch, Philip opened the Scriptures to him.

Brought alive by all that Philip had shared, the eunuch asked to be baptised. The eunuch commanded the chariot to stop; they went down into the water and Philip baptised the man. Once baptised, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. There are strong parallels between these two faith narratives.

Together they emphasise the central importance of encountering the Eternal, the Risen Christ, in the mystery of the sacraments. On the Road to Emmaus, it is Holy Communion, the breaking of bread; and on the road to Ethiopia, it is Baptism, the rite of renewal. Through these ancient myths, the Early Church offered medicine for the soul.

In meditation, on our own inner journey and pilgrimage we are to open ourselves to the Spirit of Jesus. We receive the Bread from His hand.

In both stories, those seeking answers walk their faith. Across the faith traditions, 330 million people explore their inner journey through pilgrimage each year: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Daoists, Hindus and Baha’i. Of pilgrimage, the Welsh poet R S Thomas wrote:

The point of travelling is not To arrive but to return home Laden with pollen you shall work up Into honey the mind feeds on.

The Rev Scott McKenna is minister at Edinburgh: Mayfield Salisbury.

This article appears in the July 2018 Issue of Life and Work

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