“Why do some people believe that life is a journey?”

Dear Sisters and brothers with whom I share the same faith, peace be with you all in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

It has been a great joy and privilege for me to participate in our local schools, particularly contributing to their school assemblies and religious education. During my most recent visit to the school, as a Christian, I was given a question to talk about: “Why do some people believe that life is a journey?” On my way home, I was asking the same question: “why do Christians believe that the life of faith is a journey?”

For Christians, the Bible refers to the life of faith as a “journey”, because it is a transformational process into Christ’s image from one degree of glory to another. It continues throughout our earthly life and grows closer to who God created us to be in the first place. This journey simply focuses on the process of getting there, not the arrival. The focus is on the process, not any perfection.

For the first disciples, it was a journey they started when Jesus called them to follow him, and prior to His Ascension, He set them a mission: “…go and make disciples of all nations…”(Matthew28:19), He also told them that, in His Father’s house there are many dwelling-places, that he was going to prepare a place for all who will follow Him; that He will come again and will take you to himself, so that “where He is, there they may be also.” (John 14:1-3), Jesus is the only way to the Father, because there are no works or deeds or actions that can save us. The good news is that although this faith journey is full of ups and downs, full of changes, transitions, challenges, and adventures, we are not alone. God is with us to the end. There are also spiritual companions on the way, and sometimes the most unexpected or unwelcome companion can draw us nearer to God or point us to Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

The Lent season is a time through which we remember the end of most significant earthly journey story in Christian history. Jesus Christ left heaven, came to earth for our sake, lived among us, died on the cross and rose again, so that we can live in and with Him. During this Lent season, Jesus invites us to journey with Him into family relationships, friendships, work, neighbourhoods, the persecuted church, and the broken world around us. The question is, whom are we going to invite to journey with us this Lent? As a companion in this faith journey, whom are we going to draw near or point to our Lord and Saviour this Lent season?

It is my prayer that our commitment and ultimate goal this lent season may be of pointing others to Christ through companionship, words of invitation, actions, prayers, songs of praise and fellowship, in the name of God, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Yours in His service,

Probationer minister, Deacon Marcianne Uwimana