When I was growing up, our family usually celebrated Thanksgiving with my father’s parents. As we prayed the blessing before that meal, we would gather in a circle and hold hands, each one of us offering up something for which we were thankful. My grandfather, whom we called “Friar,” would always say in a slightly shaky voice, “Thank you, God, for my family,” followed by a few tearful moments. Friar meant his words deeply, though I only realized it many years later when I missed hearing him lift up those words to the Lord. Now when I find myself praying with others and hear them offer thanks for their family, I can feel my grandfather standing right beside me back in our family circle on Thanksgiving.
In my mind’s eye, I see in today’s scripture this time with Jesus and the two disciples in Emmaus as that that same type of moment. There was just something special about the way our Lord held the bread or in the way He prayed that caused everything to click into place. Of all of the times that Jesus appeared following His resurrection, this one has always resonated with me the most. It is through the lens of this moment in Emmaus that I like to read Scripture. I would like to invite you to try this way of reading as well. When we read the words of the Bible, we should listen closely to those passages that have always had special meaning for us.
Sometimes attempting to read Scripture in this manner can cause us pain. We might come upon a passage that awakens memories of a time when we were hurt. Other passages might remind us of a time when we were lifted up from a valley through words that brought hope. This strategy is one that has helped me when I have needed to re-center myself during both the mountain moments and the valley moments of my life. Most of us have had those times when we needed to go back to the basics of our life of personal devotion. At those times, I find that the most helpful voices are those that open my eyes so that I can see God anew.