Sanctuary can look different for different people or different circumstances. Sometimes we look for sanctuary because we’re thirsty, hungry or in need of healing. In a spiritual desert, we may not know what to expect, who to trust or how our needs will be met. We may be wandering in a wilderness of grief, one where we wake up brokenhearted and go to bed empty because when we look at our family tree, a loved one is missing. Or perhaps we are facing a drought of fear, where we feel God’s urging to put our faith into action, but worry and doubt render us immobile. Or we could be trapped in a valley of bitterness, carrying deep grudges and resentments. Yet even now, Jesus Christ is at work.
When we are seeking sanctuary, feeling disoriented by confusing times, it helps to know that wherever we go, God’s abiding presence is already there. Jesus came to show us the way as well – by being the way. Jesus promises to go ahead of us, to prepare a place for us.
This message is excerpted from “Feeling lost?” by Angela !Khabeb in the September/October 2023 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Jerome, translator, teacher, 420.
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