By Judy Ramos, MISDA Family Ministries Assistant
A few Easters back, our family came up with the idea of hosting a "Walk to Emmaus" event by our home. We live out in the country and a few properties down from us, there is a very long dirt road that connects our road and the one parallel to us. Now, what is a "Walk to Emmaus"? Well, we weren't quite sure either, but at the time, we thought it would be a fun way to close some rings. We invited some of our church friends for a 14 mile walk and a brunch afterwards.
Dr. Luke tells us that it was a 7 mile journey from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The way to Emmaus started off very sadly as the two disciples were devastated about the death of Jesus. As Jesus "secretly" joined them and expounded on the prophetic Scriptures concerning the Messiah, hope began to grow and in their own words, their "hearts burned" within them. That gave them the energy to want to go back to Jerusalem "within the hour". Another 7 miles!
We mapped out a 7 mile path on this dirt road and then planned to go there and back. Have you ever walked 14 miles on a long dirt road? I can tell you that it was an experience - an experience that was just shy of traumatizing our boys from ever wanting to trust our crazy ideas again. In short, it took much longer than expected and to put it plainly, it had its challenges. We were getting very tired, hungry, and discouraged because brunch seemed like a distant reality (pun intended). Some in our group resorted to jogging out of sheer desperation. We were constantly checking GPS on our devices to see how much farther we had to go. Honestly, I can't help but laugh when I think of it all. It was a memory that we continue to think of whenever Easter rolls around.
In general, I don't think it was a bad idea. I still love the idea. We just had poor planning and didn't know what to expect. But there is one thing I am certain of. No walk will compare to the experience that the two disciples had on that long dirt road when they realized that their Savior was no longer dead, but was risen!
What are some traditions you family or your church have to celebrate Resurrection Sunday? Email them to family@misda.org so we can share them!