The Bungee Cord. 5-22-23

Hello,

I just spent today playing golf on the golf course that Arnold Palmer grew up on, Latrobe Country Club. It was a fund raiser for scholarships for a local Christian camp. Arnold’s father was the Pro at the club in its early days, and as his son, Arnie got to play the course. The club house walls are lined with pictures of Arnie and there is a case there stocked with some of the trophies he won. When Arnie was winning event after event, that he bought the club….it’s Arnie’s club now.

As I played, I imagined myself walking in Arnie’s footsteps. Hitting off the tee with towering drives (mine quite less towering than his). Chopping up the fairways with approach shots, just like he did (well, not hitting the green as often as he did). Hitting out of the sand, just like he did (and I did, hitting once out of the sand with a hole saving shot). Putting along the lines that Arnie did (not really, because his line were into the hole…mine were not.). Unfortunately, I discovered that although I walked in Arnie’s steps, it didn’t do anything to transform my golf game.

Some years ago, I went to Israel, and walked in Jesus’ footsteps. Around the sea of Galilee and the site of Jesus’ baptism (interestingly enough, there’s no water where scholars believe the baptism took place because the course of the Jordan river has changed.). To the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus earnestly prayed. Into Jerusalem and followed the path that Jesus took on his way to the cross. Stood at the site of his crucifixion and resurrection. As I did that, unlike my Latrobe Country Club experience, I didn’t imagine myself doing what Jesus did there, but rather found myself amazed that Jesus, the Son of God, would actually unite himself so deeply and fully with all humanity in his steps.

Truth to be told, however, my stroll along Jesus’ steps in Israel, just like my stroll in Arnie Palmer’s steps, didn’t really do much to my life or faith. It did give me a deeper appreciation for the wonder of the incarnation, and it was very helpful to get an appreciation of the geography and culture of the world that Jesus walked (for example, I never knew that the Mount of Olives, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Temple of Jerusalem, and Calvary were all aligned and visible from the Mount of Olives…that is to say, they were not very far apart). But walking in the sand that Jesus did, and sailing on the lake that Jesus walked, did not do much to transform me as a person of faith.

I have discovered that that transformation is far more activated in my life and faith when I follow Jesus’ to the places that he is walking today. I know that my faith has deepened and my life has been changed when I follow him to the communion table where he feeds me with the forgiveness of his body and blood, when I followed him to eat with folks that the world has left behind at the weekly free meals that one of my churches provided, when I walked alongside him through the guards and metal detectors to worship with prisoners, when I have gone with him to the hospital to stand by the bed of someone who is dying and hold their hand, when I have splashed water on a person and sealed that one in the eternal embrace of Jesus. Unlike walking where Arnie walked and walking where Jesus walked, when I have walked where Jesus is walking, I have been changed and I am transformed as a child of God.

I was invited to play golf on Arnie’s course, and that was a memorable thing full of imagination. It was great. I was invited to go to Israel, and that was a memorable thing full of learning. It was extremely interesting. But day after day, Jesus takes hold of my hand…and yours…and takes you and me for a walk with him, where he is going, and that, thanks be to God, is a transformational thing!

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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