The last two weeks are a bit of a blur. We began a trip to Oregon two days before Palm Sunday and arrived home in
Sheridan, Montana a week after Easter Sunday, having traveled almost 4000
miles, including a round trip to Minneapolis. As I traveled those long miles
- east and west - to the coast of Oregon and back through Montana and the Dakotas I was reminded that the first title I had
selected for my book was to have included the words "the endless journey" in
it. That referred, of course, to the spiritual journey, and does catch a bit of
the truth of our spiritual journeys.
Now I am thankful that this road trip has
finally ended. It was a good and salutatory
journey to the funeral of Maurice, our brother-in-law - the husband of Romell, Judy's sister ... a celebration of his
life and a necessary time of remembrance, feelings of connections and thankfulness
for family, good conversations and pondering about the meaning of life and of Easter
-even thinking about the subject of doubts on this day when the Gospel text was
about Thomas, the doubter.
The Easter season continues, of course. We got
this message on Easter Sunday from Jenkin Thomas, our long-time friend in
London.
"May I wish you Happy Easter in my mother
tongue, Welsh, namely "Pasc Llawen". "Pasc" is the Welsh
for Easter and in the Welsh language the adjective follows and does not precede
the noun. "Pasc" is of course derived from the Judaeo-Christian Latin
name for the feast.
It always strikes me as odd that in Anglo-Saxon
lands the biggest feast of the Christian year should be entitled
"Easter" in distant commemoration of "Eostre", an
Anglo-Saxon spring fertility goddess."
Something else to ponder but not something to
keep me awake at night. As I sit and take in the springtime sunset over the
mountains in our Montana valley home, it is a peaceful feeling that lingers
with me now. Good to have made the trip and it will certainly be good to
sleep in our own bed tonight.
Peace be with you,