Circle of Hope

I’m having the embarrassing realization again that I can often connect meaningful times in my life with some scene from the Wizard of Oz. My sister and I watched that movie every year of our childhood and basically memorized it, chapter and verse, like it was the “Letter of Dorothy Gale to the White Children.” It happened again as I was sitting with my able summer understudies, Nate, Tracey and Ben, a few nights ago teaching them a few arcane details that make up some of my work as pastor.

You may not have seen the movie, but there is a scene in which the Wizard is making a speech before he takes off in his balloon with Dorothy for Kansas. He encourages the people of the Emerald City that he is sure they will be well cared for by the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion, by virtue of their great gifts. Dorothy gets out to retrieve Toto, the balloon’s handlers lose control and the Wizard begins to take off. Dorothy screams “Come back!” But the Wizard says, “I can’t come back. I don’t know how it works! Goodbye folks!”

Here I go on my pilgrimage. I don’t know how it works. Goodbye folks!

I’m not really scared too much. After all, my balloon basically dropped in Philly just a few years ago, and that had a very pleasant result. So I like the idea of taking off and seeing what God has in mind. In truth, on pilgrimage is the luxurious way we Christians get to live all the time — and the ultimate destination is guaranteed to be nice. A deliberate pilgrimage is a disciplined way to take hold of that nice and trust it.

So I am regarding the four months you have granted me for sabbatical as a long pilgrimage. I’ll be on a trip. We may run into each other, maybe even in Glasgow, more likely on Kelly Drive (I’ll be the one looking like I am out for a walk even though I think I am jogging). In the middle of the time, Gwen and I will be on an actual pilgrimage to commune with the missionary monks of the 3-700’s in Ireland, Scotland, England and one day in Wales. I’m not sure what is going to happen. I hope to wake up every day eager to see where God is in the midst of where I have arrived now. I will have the great luxury of time and solitude to find out. I am very grateful.

Please take care of the Emerald City while I am gone, or, if you prefer, Kansas. Wherever we go, our Heart’s Desire is in our own back yard.

(If you have ten minutes, I found another person who has traveled with Dorothy through the last few years and wondered about how anyone in Iraq is going to get home.)