By Tom Pace, Senior Pastor

 

9When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped,  they were overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.   Matthew 2:9-12.

 

Reflection:

“We better Waze it!” Yes, it has become a standard declaration at my house. The phone app Waze is now an essential element for city living. Waze is a map application that operates off all the other drivers who are logged in. It tells you in real-time which route will be the fastest and which route has hazards. In Houston, one never knows what road will be closed and when a detour or a different route is required. Waze is a wonderful thing. Sometimes, however, I decide “that can’t be right,” and I ignore the guidance and follow my usual road. I am pretty stiff-necked and hard-headed, and change is not an easy thing for me.

My phone also knows that I am a creature of habit. When I get in the car every morning to come to the church, it somehow knows where I am going, and it tells me “Nine minutes to 3471 Westheimer. Traffic is light.” I follow pretty much the same road every day, and it is scary that it reminds me of that every single morning. I would like to think that the daily repetition means that I am efficient, that I am “in a groove.” I am afraid that instead, it simply means that I am “in a rut.” 

The magi made their journey from the east, and when they had seen the Christ child, they were warned in a dream that it was time to take a new road. The Greek word for road is hodos, and it is also translated “way.” In the book of Acts, the early Christians are called “followers of the Way.” It was clearly a different way of life than the world around them.  It was a way of life established by Jesus, with different habits, different values, different ways of relating to others and the circumstances of life.

As we head into 2021, having encountered the Christ Child at Christmas, are we prepared to take a new road? When we read the Scriptures, are we prepared to understand and apply them in new ways? Are we open to “the Waze of God,” which might warn us that we need to jump out of our spiritual rut? Or are we planning to just keep on following the road we have followed, just because it is easier to mindlessly follow the same road we have always followed? For me, I hope that at least at some forks in the road, I will break out of my rut, and head for home by another way. 

Prayer:

God, as we approach this new year, open me up to your guidance, that I might avoid the hazards, and live and love like you in new ways, that I might be a more faithful follower of the Way.