Who knew that a python could find its way home? Experiments done with Burmese pythons in the Everglades have provided evidence that when a python is removed from its home territory it returns. Apparently one snake traveled 22 miles over the course of 9 months to return to where it was captured. [See the Tampa Bay Times, “Pythons’ homing skills leave scientists amazed” by Craig Pittman, March 19, 2014]
There are other animals that also make heroic journeys to return “home.” Salmon traverse the river of their birth upstream to lay eggs. Sea turtles swim hundreds of miles to return to the beaches of their birth to lay their eggs. Monarch butterflies make incredible journeys as do many birds in their migration patterns. Many animal species have this instinctual ability to return home.
In this Lenten season, we are thinking about growing closer to God and about growing in our spiritual journey. The stories in our scriptures tell us that we come from God. Our tradition also teaches that we return to God. So our pilgrimage in this life is really one of returning to God; making our way back to God. This is much like other animal species. Though our journey may not be geographical, yet, we, too, are returning home.
Unlike the python or the monarch butterfly, we do not have pure instinct to guide us on a direct path. Our spiritual journey back to God may take many twists and turns. We may very well get waylaid. We may take detours. Maybe many detours. And while we are in the midst of sorting out our way to back to God, God may very well find us, even if we did not know we were wandering! In the end, we all make our way home to God because there is no escaping the infinite scope of divine love.
This Lenten season is a good opportunity to take some time to reflect on where you are in your journey. How are you making your way back to God?
Prayer: We are grateful that we come from Love and return to Love. In between, we make our spiritual pilgrimage on this earth. We give thanks for the journey and all that we learn along the way. There are many who offer us help along the way. That is a blessing. May we trust love as our “homing” signal and seek to turn our lives ever more surely to the path of love. Jesus came from God and returned to God. May he be our guide. Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 