From here to there

 I remember reading a book from Here to There, a story by Jon Faine about his travels with his son Jack overland from Australia to England. It related their real-life experience and encounters along the way. Often the countries they visited are ones that we would not normally overfly as they went through China, the "stans" and Iran. As we journey along the way we can often see the hassles of modern-day life that seem to beset us. Usually, there are many forms to fill out, tasks to be undertaken, and opinions to be taken into account. There can be a growing impatience that arises within us that wants to speed up the journey to our destination. But when we arrive we wonder what happened along the way?

As we continue on our journey to Christmas we are called to make the paths straight. This may be noticing where we try to cut corners or seek preference paths that have been marked out by others. Yet we need to find where we are called to be truly present to God who walks with us in these daily encounters. What gives us a clearer sense of purpose that enables us to see people as God sees them.

In reflecting on the news cycle we can often gain a sense of deja vu that we have been here before. Often many old conflicts can reemerge in new guises and new forms. We are called to hear again the voice of John the Baptist make the way straight to allow God to guide us truly along the way we are called to follow.