Crossroads

We all come to crossroads in our life, when we are forced to chose a direction. We stand at the fork in the road, and deliberate which fork will best take us forward.

I wonder if that is why Jesus speaks of a "cross". We tend to make the description physical, and tag the image of him dying on it. That description always carries the concept of suffering. But maybe he also meant the cross to denote decisions we must make when we reach that place in life where our path splits, demanding some kind of decision.

There are two parts to a decision. There is the actual choice we make, and I think most of us do pretty well with that. But there is also the responsibility we must take for making that choice. And that's the part we tend to mess up.

Look at the story of Genesis. Eve makes a choice to eat the forbidden fruit, and shares it with Adam. But when they realize, whoa, what a mistake! they run and hide. Like God can't find them.

I think there is a spirituality that encourages us to hand over our choices to another, by following someone else's direction. That spirituality instills in us a sense of safety and security. The other person guides, and our task is only to follow. In such spirituality, the other person always assumes responsibility.

But that kind of spirituality cannot build strong relationships with God. The soul, failing to know the hardship and fear of making choices tends to rely on pious practices. And as good as pious practice may seem, they do not build the bedrock of faith and trust. That comes when we take risks, and take responsibility for choice. When a soul soft in pious devotion meets disastor, often that soul runs and even abandons ship because it expected to be saved from real life pain.

Choices follow us always, and maybe that is the sense of Jesus words, "take up your cross and follow me." Not that life must be one long suffering journey; but that life requires constant decision making. Carrying our decisions could mean, taking that responsibility along, and learning from it. Such a spirituality is solid, built on a constant discernment, which is really nothing more than a constant seeking of God.

Crossroads. The journey is only as good as the heart. Choosing a path that doesn't turn out allows us to accept our responsibility for that choice and allows us to make another choice. Such a life is deeply fulfilling, exciting, demanding. And it leads one so close to God, you don't hide when he comes to walk along side you, whatever cool of the evening you meet him. You reach out and take his hand, and tell him about your day, sharing with him all that is happening in your life.