Acts 2:14, 22-33 / 1 Pt 1:17-21 / Lk 24:13-35
Once upon a time in a kingdom far away, there was a beautiful garden, and in the center of that garden stood a noble and stately bamboo. Now the bamboo was the tallest and most graceful plant in the whole garden. It was the master's favorite, and it knew in its heart of hearts that it was destined for greatness.
One day, the master came to the garden and said, "Bamboo, I have need of you."
Ah, thought Bamboo, "the call of destiny. Greatness is at hand." So he said, "Use me as you want, master."
The master's voice was grave, "I need to cut you down."
"But master," said Bamboo, "I am the most beautiful and stately plant in all your garden. Don't destroy that; don't cut me down."
The master's voice grew still more grave, "Beloved Bamboo, if I do not cut you down, I cannot use you."
The garden grew still. Even the wind held its breath. And then Bamboo whispered, "If you cannot use me unless you cut me down, then do your will and cut."
"Bamboo," said the master, "I must cut your leaves and branches from you also."
"Master, spare me. Leave me something of my beauty."
"Bamboo, if I do not cut off your leaves and branches, I cannot use you."
The sun hid her face. A listening butterfly glided fearfully away. Bamboo shuddered in terrible silence and then whispered low, "Master, cut away."
"Bamboo, Bamboo. I must divide you in half and cut out your heart, for if I do not, I cannot use you."
"Then," said Bamboo softly, "cut and divide."
So the master took Bamboo, and cut him down, and hacked off his branches, and stripped his leaves, and divided him in two from end to end and cut out his heart. Bamboo could barely recognize himself now, and was sure he was dying. But master did not cast him aside. Instead, he carried him to a spring of fresh water that was gurgling in the midst of a barren, dry field. There he laid him down, placing one end into the spring and the other end in the field. Because Bamboo's heart had been cut out, the water was able to rush into the waiting field. Days and weeks went by; rice shoots took root in the field and flourished.
Finally the harvest came, and it was bountiful. And all who were starving ate their fill. On that day, Bamboo knew he was not dead, or ruined, or wasted. He knew he had fulfilled his noble destiny. He had brought life to his master's starving people.
Like that bamboo, each of us has deep inside a powerful sense of being destined for something wonderful. And like the bamboo, each of us can get thoroughly confused and filled with false hopes as we try to name our uniqueness and bring it to life.
That is the dilemma the disciples were facing in Sunday's Gospel. They'd had exalted expectations of life and of Jesus and when those expectations came crashing down on Good Friday, they thought they were finished and had no future at all. That is why they needed those hours with Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They needed to hear him say, "You're not finished. You do have a destiny, and it's a lot grander than you've imagined. But if you want to live up to your destiny, and to give the world the unique gift that no one else can give, you'll have to bend and grow and change a lot. Through it all, I'll be at your side, giving you what you need to bend and grow and change. That is my promise," says the Lord.
Jesus has assured us that the gifts are there, and that they're even grander than we've dared hope. But he's been very honest with us about their price. He's warned us that being true to our gifts and true to our destiny, will mean, as life unfolds, doing what seems impossible, giving up what we think we absolutely have to have, changing so much we hardly recognize ourselves, sparing no effort, and, sometimes, wondering if we're dying.
It's hard and frightening work, but Jesus has promised to walk with us. And he has given us food for our journey — his own body and blood — so that we'll always know inside that no matter where he leads and what he asks, for those of us who walk with him, all will be well, all will be well, all will be well!
