An Easter Journey

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,