A guided meditation based on Luke 24:13-35
I invite you to ponder the journey to Emmaus.
Two lovers of God wondering if all their hopes were lost.
They believed Jesus would put everything right and transform their world:
transform it from a place of oppression and violence into one of liberation and peace,
a place where they could truly belong as God’s people.
They were lost, dismayed, downtrodden…
Their hopes dashed as they came to terms with Jesus’ death.
But they’d missed something. They’d missed a deeper meaning.
They’d allowed their own views to cloud their judgement of what God was up to –
and missed the depth of the intricate picture painted by Scripture.
God’s presence alongside them in the risen Christ brought a new light,
a deeper understanding of what God was up to,
and they had to let go of their own desires to understand just what God’s will was in that place.
As they sat there with this stranger and he broke bread,
the realization came that this was God speaking to them,
that all hope was not lost,
but in the midst of what they thought was terrible,
God was up to something unimaginable,
and in that moment,
in the resurrection faith,
they discovered their place to belong in the people of God.
Where is your place to belong in the resurrection faith?
Where do you feel your heart burn with joy?
In what ways do you feel loved and affirmed among other believers?
How can you help others feel a sense of belonging as they experience the joy of God’s love in your company?
© Gary Hopkins 2022
Originally written for the Methodist Church’s Easter CD 2022