Ascension Day
Good morning,
Today is Ascension Day, when Christians celebrate the end of the period of 40 days during which the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples. Accounts in Luke’s Gospel and Acts (his second book) speak of Jesus being carried up into heaven, or being lifted up until hidden by a cloud. These have led to those somehow comical images in churches of a pair of feet in the sky, toes almost waggling as they whoosh up behind a cloud.
A different journey is explored in the current poem on the St Andrews Poetry Wall, which I passed recently.
I first read this poem by Robert Frost when an undergraduate studying English at Aberdeen University. I liked it, and took away some hazy sense that it’s good to take the lesser-trodden path, thus justifying perhaps some of my more curious musical tastes and choices of holiday destination.
But, reading it again on the Lade Braes last week, I realised it doesn’t really say that. What the poem says is that when we take a particular path we find it leads to another and another and we may never come back to that first fork, and have the chance to take the option not pursued before. This is often true in choice of studies, or partner, or whether to have children, or what job to take or career to follow, or where to live. One thing leads to another. And that makes all the difference, sometimes good, sometimes less so.
I wonder why this poem was chosen. The title Road Map 2021 may suggest current dilemmas in politics, public health, and international relations. But for graduating students it could easily refer to their road map beyond St Andrews. Whatever, the sense of contingency in the poem appeals to me, that a seemingly unimportant choice can be hugely significant. I believe that we are accompanied by God whichever path we take, but I’m not always persuaded that only one path is the divine plan for us. (Perhaps that’s why I have a soft spot for the film Sliding Doors.)
I’d like to believe that Jesus’ life was full of accidents – why choose Peter and Andrew? Why speak to a particular woman by a well? Why heal the blindness of a man called Bartimaeus? Perhaps just because they were there. As for his ascension, it’s really not about the road taken into heaven, but the countless roads we take. In other words, what Christians celebrate today is that whichever diverging path we take, grassy or well-trodden, God’s Spirit is with us.
If you want to explore further about ascension, our service at St Salvator’s Chapel this Sunday at 11 am is on the theme. Our visiting preacher will be with us in person. She’s Dr Deborah Lewer, Senior Lecturer in History of Art, School of Culture & Creative Arts, Glasgow University, and she’ll be taking us through Ascension – an Exploded View, reflecting on artwork by Cornelia Parker and others. Half the spaces are still available – just visit the Events page to reserve a space: https://events.st-andrews.ac.uk/
And you can also take part by watching the livestream here: https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/community/worship/
Happy Ascension Day!
Yours,
Donald.