A traveler, returning home from a distant land, arrived at the entrance to a vast forest. Unable to retrace his steps, he prepared to pass through the gloomy forest alone when he came upon a shepherd from whom he asked directions.
“Alas!” the shepherd replied, “It is not easy to give directions for the forest is criss-crossed by hundreds of paths winding in every direction. They are almost all alike and with one exception, they all lead to the great abyss.”
“What is the great abyss?” the traveler asked. “It is the hole which surrounds the forest,” the shepherd replied. “Not only that, the forest is filled with robbers, wild beasts, and an enormous serpent, so scarcely a day goes by when we don’t find the remains of some unfortunate traveler. Still, you can’t get to your destination without passing through the forest, so I am here to direct travelers. I have also placed my sons throughout the forest to also help out. I am ready to assist you if you so desire.”
The traveler accepted his offer. Holding a lantern with one hand, the shepherd took the traveler’s arm. They then set out on their journey through the dark forest. When the lamp began to flicker, the traveler expressed his fear that they would soon be walking in darkness. “Don’t be afraid,” the shepherd said, “We will soon meet one of my sons and he can supply us with more oil.”
Just then, the traveler noticed a glimmer of light shining through the darkness. At the sound of the shepherd’s well-known voice, the cabin door swung open. The son welcomed them both into his home. After a meal and a chance to rest, the traveler continued on his journey, this time assisted by the shepherd’s son. They continued their journey through the night, stopping at different cabins. Each time, he was given a chance to rest and a new guide to continue his trek. When he arrived at the other side of the forest, the traveler noticed the huge hole.
“This,” the guide said, “is the great abyss, which my father spoke about. As he spoke, he heaved a deep sigh. “You seemed grieved,” the traveler replied.
“I am,” said the guide. “Every time I look into the abyss, I think of the countless travelers who have fallen into it. In vain, my father and my brothers offer our services. Few accept them and many of those after journeying with us for awhile then accuse us of needlessly alarming them, so they venture on their own. Sooner or later they lose their way and are devoured by the serpent, murdered by robbers, or fall into the abyss. You see, there is only one bridge across the great abyss and we are the only ones who know the way to this bridge. Pass over it with confidence now for the other side is your true home.”
To me, this tale suggests why Jesus sent the twelve apostles to preach a message of repentance, urging anyone who would listen to turn their lives around and take on a new direction in life to avoid falling into the great abyss.
How safely we navigate through life depends on the values we hold dear. As with anything else in life, we choose certain principles and reject others. From our experience and that of others, we also learn what can spell trouble for us.
Your very presence here suggests that you yearn to be a spiritual people, but few of us are as spiritual as we would like to be. Why’s that? Thomas Merton once said that the biggest spiritual problem of our time is efficiency, work and pragmatism; we are so business-like, we have little time and energy for anything else. Because of the choices we make, Fr. Ron Rolheiser observes that “we are more busy than bad, more distracted than non-spiritual, and more interested in the movie theater, the sports stadium, the shopping mall and the fantasy life they produce in us than we are in church.” He cautions that we can’t satisfy our spiritual yearnings so long as other things are more important for us than time with God.
We can become like the dog in a large crate on the platform of a railroad station. He was the saddest dog you can imagine. A lady asked about him. “You would be sad, too,” she was told, “if you were in his plight. He’s chewed the tag off his crate and doesn’t know where he’s going!” Do we?
That may be why Jesus told his disciples to travel so lightly. While it is not practical for us to literally travel from one place to another with nothing more than a walking stick, we can go through life with much less baggage than we tend to by letting go of that which impedes us from focusing on God, like our prejudices, consumerism, selfishness or even our fears. Moved by the direction that only Jesus can offer, we should evaluate our priorities and make the changes in our lives that will keep us safely on the right path.
Like the apostles, we are being called by the good shepherd to show others the way home to God as well. The notion may seem intimidating but Thomas Merton makes this point, “It is very important to live your faith by confessing it, and one of the best ways to confess it is to preach it.” Now, you may feel inadequate for that task yet St. Francis de Sales once said, “Whoever preaches with love, preaches effectively.” As the apostles have shown us, it doesn’t take a degree in theology to do that.