Readings:
Genesis 12: 1-4a;
Psalm 121;
Romans 4: 1-5, 13-17;
John 3: 1-17 

Collect:
Almighty God,
by the prayer and discipline of Lent
may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,
and by following in his Way come to share in his glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Reflection

I wonder, are you up for an adventure?  You may feel that you’re too young or too old to go and take a leap into the unknown and yet we are constantly being reminded that ‘adventure is out there’, to quote a Disney phrase, no matter how old you are.  In 2019 Jeanne Socrates, at the age of 77, became the oldest person to sail solo around the world.  In 2021 at the age of 14 Katie McCabe became the youngest person to sail solo around the UK.  An adventure though doesn’t have to be about going off on some expedition but it is about taking a step into the unknown.   

Stepping into the unknown is something that we tend not to like doing, it’s too scary, too unsettling as we found when we faced the pandemic.  People were anxious and longed to go back to something that was familiar. In many ways it gives us a sense of how Abram felt when God invited him to step away from the familiar and take a step into the unknown.  Abram had already responded to God’s call to leave Ur following the great Euphrates River to the city of Haran.  That would have felt like an adventure but there was some security there as he had the river to guide him on that journey.  Now God was asking him to step out into the desert, an in hospitable place, a place you didn’t go to unless you had to.  And to top it all, Abram didn’t know whether God would be there.  This journey into the unknown required a great deal of courage from Abram for not only was it dangerous but he was no spring chicken.  And yet Abram trusted God whole heartedly and stepped out in faith.

Nicodemus too was encouraged to step into the unknown.  He was a bit more timid about his adventure than Abram was, coming to Jesus at night, but none the less, he showed great courage.  He recognised that Jesus had come from God because of all that he was doing and he eager to learn more.  He didn’t fully understand what Jesus was talking about but he was willing to engage and learn.  Slowly, over time coming to understand who Jesus was.  As Nicodemus’ understanding grew he became more courageous, speaking up for Jesus to the other leaders and bringing costly myrrh and aloes for his burial.  For Nicodemus there was a need to let go of some of the past truths that had shaped his life so fundamentally to step into the unknown, trusting that God was guiding him.

We too often like to cling to the familiar, it brings us comfort and yet God calls each of us on an adventure.  It’s unlikely to be that we are called to all sail the oceans or explore out of space but that doesn’t mean to say we’re not called to step into the unknown.  As we continue our journey through Lent, listening to God’s call on our lives and the life of the church, may we have the courage of Abram and Nicodemus to trust in God and to let go of our fears and insecurities as we step into the unknown.  Taking comfort from the psalmist who reassures us that God has our best interests at heart, giving us the strength and the courage to journey on. 

Loving God,
let me go on with courage.
Let me go on with love.
Let us travel the world together,
held safe in your hands. Amen.
Adapted from Roots for Churches Ltd

Mike Morris