I was invited to take a walk and photograph things that were
imperfect, or ugly, or hard. Then to
pray, reflecting on these images, to see if I could find the beauty or the
grace hidden within them. Then compose a
“Beatitude” or blessing.
It was winter and very cold when I came upon this wooden
walk through some wetland. It was icy,
slippery. Some brave soul had walked this way before me, leaving just enough
traction for me to very tentatively take a few steps into nature’s
wilderness.
After prayer and reflection I wrote “Blessed are the
pioneers who make a way in the wilderness and create footprints for future
generations to follow.”
Like so many before us, we have been invited to “go.” Sometimes that is pretty scary, as we don’t
know what lies ahead. The pathway is not always easy. But unlike Abraham and Sarah, we know that
Jesus has walked this road before us…. even through suffering, betrayal, and
death. And so with gratitude and faith
we take a step into the world… trusting in God’s future.
Pastor Marie C. Jerge, Lutheran pastor and former Bishop of Upstate NY
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