Book of Glory I

The Way, the Truth, the Life

Jesus is The Way, the Truth, the Life. The Lord is the creator of life; Father, Son and the Holy Spirit are one; John tells us that Jesus was with God from the beginning of time. Thus, Jesus was with God during creation and is the co-creator of life. He is alpha and omega of all time and existence, but He is the beginning and end of our own stories as well. Because He dwells within, He is the Creator of every heart full of compassion, mercy, and forgiveness.

The disciples are continually asking Jesus where he’s going and why they can’t go with Him. Jesus says that he is going to prepare a place, to be with the Father; there are many rooms within God’s house. In saying that He is the Way, Christ is implying that our spiritual journeys lead to a specific destination. This conversation occurs at the Last Supper, about the time of Passover which is a feast to celebrate freedom. This freedom involved leaving the place of slavery and discovering a new home which God had given to them.

Barclay mentions the theology of several of the early church fathers; they suggested that there were many levels and stages of heaven. This notion also existed in Judaism in Christ’s day. This idea of layers of Heaven indicates, albeit metaphysically, a notion of location; how can we conceptualize arrival without having a “spot” at which to arrive at? Barclay proposes that Jesus could have simply been suggesting there is room for everyone in Heaven. Either way, these are concepts of Heaven, as is the understanding of Heaven on Earth, because we can’t pinpoint Heaven on a map, or experience it in its fullness until death.

If Heaven is not a place on a physical map but a spiritual “location,” conversely our placement on the earth can be conceived of as spiritual whereabouts. The ancient Celts had the notion of ‘thin places,’ physical locations in which the boundaries between the physical and spiritual were flimsy. Christ says to His disciples, “Where I AM, you there will also be.” This again indicates a location. If He dwells within another person’s heart as Spirit, if that is “where He is,” then we dwell within that heart as well.

The place on the map in which all Christians can meet and find Christ dwelling therein is at the crucifix. We come from different countries and circumstance. Despite travels, reading, and mass media, we each have limited knowledge of the details of other people’s lives. The cross is and was concrete; it was a recorded event that happened within human place and time. It is real to all believers; a place accessible to all of us simultaneously.

In this way, the cross is the only “physical place” where all Christians can meet. Most of us own a tangible representation of the cross, and so we can meet others “there.” With our crosses in hand or in sight, the context for our understanding Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life becomes our awareness of the other souls and spirits at the foot of His cross.

Journal Questions:

What experiences have you had of arriving at a spiritual destination? You may or may not have planned your excursion; for example, you may have celebrated a sacrament, but you may have experienced an unexpected, unplanned epiphany.

Writing Exercise:

Think of a physical location that is important to you. Reflect on that location’s place in the spiritual world. Develop a narrative in which you meet others or another here.

Creative Arts:

Fabric arts- Represent a spiritual location that is also a physical place. Try to capture the nature of its simultaneous significance.

Paper Arts- Create a piece using a representation of the cross; however, depict people that you might meet there.

Home arts- Visit a place that is physical, yet has spiritual significance to you; pay attention to your interactions with other people there. Consider the impact of the physical interaction on the spirits of those involved.

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