A Pastor holds a one year child for baptism. The child is old enough to be held upright. The child looks around at the sights of people and sanctuary with a serene gaze. The child s head jerks and his eyes give a startled look. Startled that one is a child of God, a follower of Christ, a member of the church.
Baptism symbolizes the start of a startling journey.
Ever since the Israelites went on a journey through the wilderness, and Jesus went on a journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem, and the early church became known as the Way because it journeyed from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, Christianity has characterized our lives as a journey with God. It is a startling journey, an adventure, because we don t know where we are going, whom we will meet, what we will do. As children the way stretches out beyond our eyes and ears. We only know that we are on the way. I saw the children from our pre-school on their first day, following their teacher in our hallway to the parking lot.