Pointing in the right direction

My Spiritual Director asked me the other day of the difference of Jesus being the way or pointing towards the way. I am no systematic theologian and wax more in the poetic musings of God. I know in my heart that Jesus points towards the way of God's delight and kingdom, but I question at times if Jesus on all of his days would rather have us pointing solely at him or through him to God's great dream for creation.

I then turned to Richard Rohr's Advent devotion in "Radical Grace" in which he talks about John the Baptist pointing towards the way, the body of Christ pointing towards the way and the church pointing towards the way. He argues that none of these things in and of themselves are the way and if we make them out to be the way, then we turn them into idols.

As I light a candle each day, I think about the path that is being lit before me and the direction to which the light points. I know that Christ leads me to look where he is leading and knows that the Church, creation, family and strangers alike, scripture and art can point me in the path in which he leads.


I think what I appreciate about Advent is that I learn how to slow down long enough to ask, where are we and where are we going? If it were not for the Christ light, I would not know which direction to head next.

peace
stacet