Unhurried Journeys
Week 5
Living Organically
Our culture seems to have become fixated on unnatural growth. Once again we find evidence of it in our food system. Animals are injected with hormones to speed their growth. Barns keep lights on 24 hours a day in order to discourage animals from sleeping at night, giving them more time to eat. We hear the horrifying stories of the results, animals whose legs break or cardiovascular systems collapse under the strain of their overweight bodies.
And we see similar pressure in other areas of our lives. Recesses being taken away from elementary kids. High school students facing impossible pressure to compete for top positions. Calendars displaying inhuman schedules of sports and other extracurricular activities. All in the name of getting ahead.
Traditionally, life followed a season cycle of work and rest. The busy planting, harvesting, and butchering seasons were followed by the calm of winter, with its shortened daylight hours. But modern technology has overridden these seasonal considerations, making it difficult for us to slow down.
In the Gospels, we see Jesus modeling an unhurried life. He always seemed to have time for prayer and for the people He encountered along the way.
Scripture Reading: Mark 21:1-17
Right There:
What do we see Jesus doing and hear Him saying in these passages?
Think About It:
Considering the fact that the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem fulfilled several Old Testament prophecies recorded hundreds of years earlier and that the people’s actions hinted at the return of a king or conqueror, how does this event portray the contrast between God’s timing and human timing?
Personal Reaction:
What is my response to how this scripture portrays God? Am I surprised, relieved, encouraged, frustrated, etc.? Why?