Encountering God on the Journey

Everything that moves has life. For there to be life there must be movement. Migrant people are in continuous movement. Not only moving physically but, above all, their spirits are in movement. It is in the process of movement that new experiences emerge. What are the reasons that migrant people are willing to be on the move? They journey in search of life, a better life for their families. They must leave their countries of origin, not because they want to, but because in their countries their lives are threatened. It is during their journey that they frequently come face to face with death, but
it is also where they find a new meaning for their life. It is there in uncertainty that they encounter God.

There are many shortages and difficulties that migrants face during their journey, but the lack of food is one of the most painful shortages. I believe that those of us who have not had the experience of feeling hunger can find it difficult to comprehend the sensation of losing, little by little, the smallest reserve of energy that one’s body has. At the same time, these migrants must keep moving in order to obtain any food and thus maintain an energy level that will allow them to continue their journey.

I suggest that it is very similar in their spiritual lives. When they are on the road, they realize that not only their body needs nourishment, but also their spirits. It is in that experience of weakness and being deprived that God comes to meet them, to nourish them, to strengthen them so that they can continue their journey.

The story of the people of Israel appears to continue to be present in a real, tangible, and concrete way in the here and now. Thousands of migrants continue to leave their countries in search of a better quality of life for their families. On that journey, they experience the need to be filled and nourished by God and they discover the strength that allows them to continue on their way.

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to participate in the Eucharist where several of the migrant children received the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. The children ranged in age from one year to twelve years old. The joy of the children and their families was very evident. Talking to some of the parents and children who had received the sacraments, they clearly expressed how they felt the presence of God accompanying them during their long and difficult pilgrimage. That precise moment of receiving the sacraments meant much more to them than can be expressed here in words.

At other times, we have reflected, that, migrants travel with just what they are wearing, their important documents, and some other small belongings. Something that really caught my attention that day was that, although their clothing was very simple, all the children who were receiving the sacraments were wearing something new: a hairpin, a pair of pants, a blouse, etc. What touched my heart the most was that they were all wearing new shoes. This seemingly unnoticed detail made me ponder many things. Perhaps these children in their short lives had never had the opportunity to wear a new garment, but that day was a special day. That was a special encounter with God, their Lord, who had protected them on their way. It caused me to think about what “new garment” (new thoughts, vision, attitudes) I need to wear each time God meets me in my daily life. There is definitely an invitation to keep moving so that my life does not stagnate.

Also, the fact that each child was wearing new shoes goes far beyond the simple fact of having a pair of new shoes. For a migrant, shoes are a vitally important possession to accomplish their journey. It enables them to keep moving and to keep searching for life. It is also for me an invitation to change my “shoes” (ideas, attitudes, ways of seeing life) that no longer help me to walk. Let this be the time to change “old shoes” and to put on new shoes to continue our personal journey and at the same time to continue our congregational walk in order to discover God who continues to meet us despite the fears, doubts, challenges, and uncertainties that we may encounter. It is in movement that God comes out to meet us when we take the time to notice.