The Safe Way
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’ — Jeremiah 6:16
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. — Matthew 7:13-14
Author
Milagros García Klibansky
Summary: On the journey of faith, we sometimes prefer the path that seems easier, even though it exposes us to serious spiritual dangers. We do not lack direction: Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Our disorientation is, in fact, foolishness, because we insist on choosing our own course, confuse our desires with the voice of God, and then blame him for our falls. Yet the Spirit who dwells within us continues to warn, rebuke, and guide us; we are the ones who stop listening. We must heed his voice and choose God’s way: it may be more difficult, but it is safe and leads us to the place of rest.
In our country, we have grown accustomed to walking in the streets, vying with cars for the road and sometimes even running the risk of being hit, but we have no other choice: the sidewalks are so broken that it is better not to walk on them, for if we do, we risk falling.
The same thing sometimes happens on our journey of faith: we dare to look for the easiest route to reach our goal, without realizing that it is not the safest one, and for this reason we find ourselves entangled in situations that pose a high risk to our spiritual life. And it is not that we have not been warned that this can happen, no; it is simply that we are forgetful hearers, and time and again we fall into the same potholes and cracks in our lives.
Like children, whenever we must choose a direction, we ask ourselves, like disoriented birds, which path is the right one? When Thomas asked the Lord, he answered in John 14:6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” So, what is the reason for our disorientation? In the end, we can realize that it is not disorientation, but foolishness.
We love to play God; we enjoy deciding for ourselves which direction to take, and afterward, when we tumble down the ravine at the end of the road, we remember that there is a God in our lives and blame him for not steering us away in time. We constantly lie to ourselves. We tell ourselves that it is God’s voice speaking when it is our own desires that are shouting.
Think and remember: How many times have you felt his voice whispering in your ear, warning you… rebuking you…? Come now, do not deceive yourself: the Spirit who dwells in you does not sleep, does not relent, does not abandon you; you are the one who does not listen to the clear voice warning you. Yes, it is true: the path is more difficult, but it is safe. The others lead you astray. This one will bring you safely to the place of rest
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