Scripture: Mark 5:14-20
The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. Then they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighborhood. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. But Jesus refused, and said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever felt pressured by others to head in a direction that you didn’t want to go? Have you been silent as others have been unkind or spoken unjustly against someone else? Have you missed an opportunity to share a word of God, a word of love because you were afraid of what others might think or say?
Five-minute Story:
On the Bright Angel Trail down to Indian Gardens, there are two designated water/rest stops at the Mile and a Half and the Three Mile points. From the Rim, these are descents of 1,131 and 2,112 feet respectfully. Such a downward trek takes time and involves numerous switch-back trails that hug the steep canyon walls. Back and forth, down you go tracing the path of the ancient Havasupai people, who have lived in the Grand Canyon for at least 800 years.
At points, the Bright Angel Trail goes through tunnels cut through the rock face. At all points, the vista is immense and breathtaking. My camera was at the ready and got quite the workout as we lumbered down the pathway. In addition to the digital images that my DSL captured along the way was the images my heart imprinted deep within my being. These later images unlocked the hidden internal photos of the past. It was like some magical spell descended upon me.
Yes…I've been here in this place! I've seen this wonder before and now it is all the more special. As I mentioned last week, the reason I came back to the Bright Angel Trail is that I wanted to share this experience with my family. I wanted for them to see the timeless marvel. In the silence of our descent, I could see that they were capturing the splendor in their hearts as well.
The canyon might be timeless, with the various rock strata preserving a record of eons, but my body was not. Even before we reached the first rest stop, I started to feel an ache in the back of my knees. The strain of the descent was starting to manifest itself upon my middle-aged body.
At the rest stop we filled our rapidly emptying canteens with fresh water. Sitting on a rock, I was feeling like I was the weak link in our hiking party. Where had the ever-present vigor of my youth gone? Why was this hike suddenly harder than I remembered? The most pressing of my thoughts centered around issues of self-worth. If I couldn't go on, then my family would miss the full experience that I wanted for them. What good was I worth to my family? I kept all these thoughts to myself.
During the first full week of our spiritual journey, I shared stories with you about the human temptation to devalue life. We do this in our judgment of others. We do this in our judgment of self. When we face a challenging situation, it is all too easy to forget God-given worth.
It is at that moment that we must remember. Created and loved by God, our worth and the worth of all humans comes as a gracious and divine gift. It does not come from the laws of the land or the wholeness of our bodies. The good news that Jesus announced in his earthly ministry is that God is present to the poor, broken-hearted, lame, blind, and the imprisoned. We are worth a great deal - no matter how rocky our path gets because God remains with us declares it to be true.
Our journey continues tomorrow…