Last Friday, one week following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan March 11, I heard a fascinating broadcast. A fisherman had been out to sea just before the disaster stuck. Noticing whirlpools in the water, he headed for shore and ran to his home. By then, the sirens were blaring and the villagers were already evacuating toward the hills. Driving as fast as he could, without time even to save his most valuable property, he fell quickly in line with the vehicles ascending the principal route out of town.
The procession arrived at a fork in the road. Everyone veered left, as that was the fastest way to refuge. However, something inside him urged the old man to steer right. This less-travelled road didn’t offer the rapid ascent that the easier one did, but it had one great advantage. It had no traffic.
Reaching safe haven, the fortunate fisherman looked back to witness a most horrible sight: the monstrous wave had risen out of the sea from which he had just minutes before escaped. It lunged through the seaside community, crushing everything in its path, then rose to devour the other vehicles - to destroy, that is, his friends and neighbors who had chosen the wider route.
Hearing this tragic story, I couldn’t help but reflect on the words of Jesus: the path to life is narrow and difficult, and few there are that go that way.
In the case of the unfortunate Japanese, of course, this saying has no direct application. Many good and holy people have died and are suffering. But in terms of the graphic reminder for us to go the right way as we make our ascent to a better life, to choose not the wider path, but the one which the Holy Spirit whispers when we listen carefully to his voice within, to follow not the crowd but rather to seek what is righteous and most obedient, these lessons came blaring out of that simple story as loud as the tsunami sirens.
The procession arrived at a fork in the road. Everyone veered left, as that was the fastest way to refuge. However, something inside him urged the old man to steer right. This less-travelled road didn’t offer the rapid ascent that the easier one did, but it had one great advantage. It had no traffic.
Reaching safe haven, the fortunate fisherman looked back to witness a most horrible sight: the monstrous wave had risen out of the sea from which he had just minutes before escaped. It lunged through the seaside community, crushing everything in its path, then rose to devour the other vehicles - to destroy, that is, his friends and neighbors who had chosen the wider route.
Hearing this tragic story, I couldn’t help but reflect on the words of Jesus: the path to life is narrow and difficult, and few there are that go that way.
In the case of the unfortunate Japanese, of course, this saying has no direct application. Many good and holy people have died and are suffering. But in terms of the graphic reminder for us to go the right way as we make our ascent to a better life, to choose not the wider path, but the one which the Holy Spirit whispers when we listen carefully to his voice within, to follow not the crowd but rather to seek what is righteous and most obedient, these lessons came blaring out of that simple story as loud as the tsunami sirens.
