It is the rare person who visits Scotland who doesn’t want to see the Loch Ness Monster. Tourists arrange their schedules so they can spend at least part of a day at that lake. I don’t think most people expect to actually see the fabled beast.
But, still ...
Busloads of folk arrive hour after hour, day after day; their dollars & pounds (and many, many other currencies) are the life blood of the attraction. We, too, had come to see the monster. The idea that something big and monstrous might be at the end of our journey, that day ... well, that was kind of exciting.
There has been a lot of debate about the size of Nessie, she of the sinuous body and arched neck. Just how big was she? Really big, we all think ... and maybe still growing. That idea that something monstrous might be ahead of us ... the thought drew us on. A sighting; that was our goal and our intent.
As our tour bus wound its way around rolling hills carpeted with lush, green grasses, we were treated to tantalizing glimpses of Loch Ness; that green carpeting sweeping right down to the waterline.
Once we parked and alighted, though, we soon encountered a sign that assured us “100% guaranteed sighting of Nessie ... tomorrow.” —It was a permanent sign— Sigh ... stymied. We decided to go see the Loch, anyway ... maybe the sign was wrong.
On our way, though, we encountered the castle.
Most, I think, are not expecting to find a castle overlooking Loch Ness. It was surprising. Here was this fascinating castle, with all of its history so deeply tied to the history of the Scottish people. And it was right in our path. Instead of monster-hunting, we spent most of that stop exploring the castle and its history.
Encountering it changed our entire trajectory. Did we forget about Nessie? Well, no. But encountering the castle changed how we thought of Loch Ness. We went there to see the monster, but were privileged to experience the unanticipated, instead.
In this week’s scripture from the Book of Acts, the future Apostle Paul is on his way to Damascus. He is still named Saul and he is no friend to Christians. His objective is to capture and arrest any who are living in Damascus. He plans to drag them all back to Jerusalem for “judgment.”
All of his plans changed, though, when he encountered Jesus along the way. Yes, he eventually made it to Damascus, but his original plans no longer existed. Yes, he found the Christians, but his mid-journey encounter changed his focus. Instead of capturing and transporting them, he spent his time learning from them.
Meeting Jesus changed everything for Paul. He went to see the monster, but he got the castle, instead.
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PHOTO (and a great little blog about a cruise to Scotland): https://www.escape.com.au/experiences/cruises/ocean/kilts-castles-and-loch-ness-monsters-cruising-scotlands-northern-isle/news-story/dc69f8bb524218fb4370b5c97593974c
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Third Sunday of Easter (May 5, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=135
Acts 9:1-6, (7-20)
Psalm 30
Revelation 5:11-14
John 21:1-19
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We continue this Easter season Friday morning at DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. Join us at 8:00 for an hour of fellowship and food. We still meet at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant, usually around the back in the function room. Ask if you can’t find us.
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