Discerning the Right Road

One of the themes in much of my life - you might call it a guiding principle - is to find the correct road that I am supposed to be on.  This has been front and centre at some times and at other times it has not taken on a prominent role but it has always been there if I pay attention to it.

This road has often seemed to me to be a road less travelled to borrow the phrase from M. Scott Peck and Robert Frost, as I have seemed to be the odd-person out in many aspects of my life.  However, I have come to know when I have chosen the right road and when I haven’t usually as a result of where my choices have taken me.  When I take the correct road, it is a step on my journey to become the person that God intends me to be.  There have been many missteps and wrong roads taken as well as correct one throughout my now seven decades of life.  So, given the goal of choosing the right road in my life, you might ask how I know if a road is the correct one.  One of the main ways of doing this is through the God-given gift of discernment.  I believe that everyone has the gift of discernment and as with all gifts it can be strengthened when it is used consciously and intentionally.

There are many ways in which we can discern if we are on the right road.  As an intuitive-feeling person on the Myers Briggs Personality type one way I use is if the choice I made feels right to me.  This can be tricky as sometimes my ego can confuse what my desire is with what my true feeling is.  This requires reflection and assessment of other abilities such as sensing which is not my strong suit.  Occasionally I will have help in ways that are more direct.  One such way is through what is called synchronicity.  This is a concept developed by Carl Jung for what can be called meaningful or significant coincidences.  One example of this is when I had been interviewed for entrance into the MDiv program at Huron College with the intention of it leading to ordination as a priest.  After the interview I turned on the car radio and the program playing was an interview with three people who had chosen to answer to call to ordained ministry later in life.  I discerned this to be a sign I had made the correct choice. 

There are many ways in which we can discern where we are being called in our lives – this is only one way.  What is helpful in strengthening the gift of discernment is to pray.  I was given a prayer for discernment which I find helpful and which I use at the beginning of Spiritual Direction sessions which I lead.  I will close today with the prayer:

O God of all, you give so abundantly to your people.  As we enter into a time of discernment, we ask you to walk with us.  Help us to listen to your voice in the midst of our thoughts, ideas, and suggestions we hear.

Give us the wisdom to weigh options, the strength to accept other possibilities, the trust to give it over for your guidance, and the hope for a holy outcome. 

Your love is unconditional and we know that your desire for us is that we find the best for our growth, health and well being physically and spiritually.  We desire to live a life full of your grace.  We open our hearts and minds to you.  Amen

May you be blessed to discern the right road for you on your journey.  

 

Meditation on the Cross

In my recent archeological excavation of my office, I discovered a rather ornate cross which is pictured below, thanks to the photography of Lorna:  

 

I am not exactly sure how this came into my possession.  It may have been when attending a Diocesan event such as one of the Synods (annual meeting of the Diocese). 

It is rather pretty in a somewhat gaudy way and it is a modern version, being in plastic, of an ancient symbol.  I must admit that I have not paid much attention to it since it came into my possession.  However, it did cause me to think of the process of meditation on the cross.  The cross is a universal symbol which contains a great deal of meaning for many people – even those who are not Christian.  Psychologically it can be symbolic of the intersection of the horizontal and vertical in our lives.  Intersections and crossroads can mean that there are options and decisions have to be made as to which road to travel.  You might reflect on the ‘road not taken’ as Robert Frost did in his poem or the ‘road less travelled’ as Scott Peck did in his book. 

For Christians, the cross represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Roman instrument of torture and execution, and the forgiveness of sins that was made possible by Jesus’ forgiving those who crucified him.  However, this cross is not a crucifix – it is the empty cross from which Jesus was taken down, which leads to many more possible meanings.  I discovered something about this cross, which I may have known about when I received it but had forgotten, it is a kaleidoscope.  You can look into it – there is a viewer at the bottom and you will see a multifaceted vision of reality.  The arms of the cross turn and what you are seeing changes.  I am not able to give you a picture of this, but I found one on the internet which will give you an idea.

This leads to the possibility that meditation on the cross can lead to different perspective on what you see and how you see the world – the world around you and the larger world.  It enables you to get different perspectives as you turn the cross arms.  It enables you to see things which you otherwise are not able to see.  You can also be reminded that a bystander, Simon of Cyrene, was forced to carry the cross to the place of execution as Jesus was physically unable to carry it due to the treatment by the Roman authorities.  As Christian we are called to pick up our cross and follow Jesus. 

I will close with a meditation on the cross by -Br. Luke Ditewig of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist:

Look at the cross, and pray with Jesus. Pray both trouble and trust. Death and evil are conquered. Jesus reigns, reaching, hearing, and holding all. On the cross Jesus bears the weight of the world. Hold yourself in a hug, trusting that Jesus has us all in his hands.

May you be blessed to be aided by others to carry your cross and know that Jesus will be with you on your journey.