Safe Passages, eh?

My good friend left for the Canadian Rockies today, almost the exact time of year we traveled to Banff last year. I've learned to enjoy the beach, but I'm a mountain girl at heart, and in my mind I'm revisiting the thousands of acres of forests, mountains, wildlife and glacier lakes. One image that stands apart from my trip is the Inuksuk, which is an ancient Canadian Inuit structure. They are built using rocks and designed and stacked into the image of man. "Their strength of presence gives comfort to the traveler, assuring him his is not alone. They are also messengers indicating safe passages, natural shelter, and good hunting."

Once while hiking in the Colorado Rockies the trail crossed across a large expanse of rock surface and the only way to mark the trail was by the intermittent use of small piles of rock. Unlike the prominent trail in the forest worn down by countless steps, the path across the rock was open to interpretation and conjecture. When we found the next rock grouping it was like finding gold. I can barely begin to imagine the importance of the solid landmarks in the vast Arctic landscape.

I am probably using some vivid imagination, but I saw resemblances of the silhouettes of the Canadian Inuksuks with the cross. The wide stretched arms are a repeating, prominent feature in the formations built into the landscape of the country.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are thankful for the assurances you provide along our journey. Sometimes we wish the message was as obvious as a protected green turn signal at an intersection, but if we are observant we can find the smaller, yet authoritative markings of safe passages. We are reminded of our small stature in the world when we review the expanse of a mountain range, but by leaving markings of a well-lived life for the next seeker, we can be messengers of encouragement and wisdom. We can retrace our own steps to find the last known indicator of the right path when we veer off-course ourselves. The Inuits phrase "a long time ago in the future" speaks of timelessness. You, O God, are eternal and your word is as life-giving today as it was given to Adam, Sarai, Noah, and Mary. We look for the next assurance of our right path. Amen.