Travel is a big part of episcopal ministry, a reality I was aware of from serving as a priest in the dioceses of Brandon and Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and aware of the many, many miles my bishops put on travelling in the diocese and elsewhere.
My first parish was a five-point charge spanning roughly a 100-kilometre area, and believe me when I say I put on my fair share of kilometres.
As a bishop, air travel is a part of the job I am enjoying, but something that also takes some getting used to. There is one aspect of flying that I am not sure I will ever be comfortable with, and that is having to part with my personal belongings. Namely, wallet, phone, passport, even my suspenders at times. That inevitably leads me to worry that I will soon be parted from more of my wardrobe than jacket and shoes!
I understand the necessity of having to be momentarily separated from such personal, private, valuable items for security reasons. However, it triggers within me feelings of vulnerability, which is not at all about a lack of trust for the very excellent and well-trained Canada Customs agents. Rather, this stems from a sense that I can do without these items.
All our lives we are instructed to safeguard our personal belongings, especially our valuables and that which we hold dear. But, when we try to cross a border or travel by plane we are expected to automatically suspend that ingrained concern. This anxiety of parting with valuables is more deeply embedded than we realize, reaching far beyond our wallet, phone, and other personal items.
We all struggle with our attachment to worldly things. We cannot seem to help ourselves. My family is in the process of trying to sell our home in Neepawa, Man., which we have been endeavouring to do for over six months now.
As frustrating as this delay is, there is a part of me that secretly rejoices because I am very much attached to the home where we raised our family, and I will admit to experiencing anticipatory grief at the thought of its sale. That makes me a walking contradiction because I am also praying for the place to sell!
We tell God what we want, all the while being unsure of what it is we want! And then we wonder why God is not answering our prayers precisely as we direct Him to.
In Luke Chapter 21, Jesus reminds us in His startling and provocative way that we are in danger when we focus too much on the things of this world, hanging onto the material, cherishing, protecting, and concerning ourselves with all that will one day tumble and crumble into rubble.
If we doubt this, we need only to look around us to realize many things we thought were stable and eternal, things we have surrounded ourselves with, everything we know and love and have grown accustomed to, is being torn down, dismantled, and heaped into rubble, much like Jesus’ prediction of the Temple. Even relationships with our beloved family and friends will not last.
All of which is a painful reminder to set our priorities straight, and to focus on the one truth that will not be shaken or destroyed — the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to stand firm on the truth that God’s faithfulness is what truly lasts.
This raises a fundamental question: where do we place our hope and whom do we trust? If our source of joy and security rests entirely or even partially in money, house, passport, or anything else that can be taken, sold, stolen, lost, or crumble, I am afraid we are very much at risk.
Thankfully, by the grace and mercy and unfathomable love of our God, Jesus reminds us “not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
May we all focus our hearts and lives upon Jesus so that we are free to enjoy the blessings of this life without living in terror of losing them, travelling as we are meant to through this life as we are meant to, secure in the knowledge that although everything of this world will one day crumble and fall, the love of God stands firm through it all.
