The season after Easter is one where we are constantly asked to think about what it means to live after the Resurrection. What does it mean to how we live? The lessons keeps reminding us that the disciples were as puzzled as we are at times: rushing off to meet Jesus, or terrified by his presence.
A few weeks ago, the Pilgrimage of Hope came through Merced. We’d worked to organize a good pot-luck supper, and homes for the walkers. What struck me most watching the walkers take off in the morning was the prosaic nature of pilgrimage. They were just walking. Nothing fancy, one foot in front of the other. It is probably not accidental that pilgrimage and journey are among the common metaphors for our lives as Christians. Pilgrimages and journeys have destinations. And, because we live after the Resurrection, we know that Jesus is always with us on the road. Sometimes, as on the road to Emmaus, we don’t recognize him. But the promise is that he is there.