Life on the Road to Emmaus

Luke 24. 13 - 35 Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad.

Imagine not being able to recognize one you have loved for so long, followed, worked with and even suffered for?

The disciples had acknowledged Jesus as their Lord, their Savior, their Messiah. And yet he walks with them side by side, and they have no idea who he is. They are so blinded to his presence, they even tell him the story of what happened to him...how he was condemned, crucified and then disappeared.

This story sounds eerily familiar in a time of self-isolation and social distancing. Our worlds have grounded to a halt; we are holed up in our houses; we are sad and worried.

Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, our eyes are kept from recognizing the Divine in our midst. But this global slow down might be just the eye opening correction we need to see and recognize Jesus in our midst.

We don't need to look very far to see God's hand in creation as spring buds and blooms everywhere. Nor do we have to look far to see Jesus in the face of those we love and those who are caring for the sick, the lonely and the suffering. In this time of masks, all we see of each other are eyes, so we must look closely to understand and connect.

Life in a time of pandemic is like being on the road to Emmaus. And just like this story, we will recognize Jesus in breaking bread, in noticing God's hand in creation, and in finding the face of God in one another.

Where have you seen the face of God? Where will you look today?