Where Are You Going?
Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going.” – John 8:14 (NRSV)
When I moved to Berkeley, California, I was amused by the sight of so many grown men riding old school kick-scooters for their commutes. Truly, I had arrived in the land of eternal youth, I snarked judgmentally. But after battling freeway speed demons, wailing at the price of gas, and breathing in noxious pollution on bad air days, I began to think they were wise old sages to adopt a fossil fuel-free existence.
When Jesus said, “I know where I have come from and where I am going,” he was not talking to his disciples about a mode of transportation, but about his life’s purpose and his imminent death. Then again: aren’t life and death a trip? How will we ride?
It’s the last night of the year: the hinge between what was, and what will be, and what could be if we make a move. It’s a time for resolve and new habits. What would it look like if we invited Jesus into this spiritual and practical moment of intention-setting? Where is Jesus “coming from” in the idiomatic sense—and where is he going? What about you—where have you come from? Wherever you have been on this trip around the sun, can you go, now with Jesus, even if where he will take you is a mystery?
Prayer
Jesus, whether you arrive by scooter, spaceship, or Tesla Model S, tonight let me ride with you. Amen.
About the AuthorMolly Baskette is Senior Minister of First Congregational Church UCC in Berkeley, California, and the author of the best-selling Real Good Church, Standing Naked Before God, and her newest baby, Bless This Mess: A Modern Guide to Faith and Parenting in a Chaotic World.