Travel Lightly

Mark 6: 7-9

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.


It makes a big difference when we travel lightly....
Always ready to go
Able to move quickly
More likely to set our course by what is right before us
Don't need to find places to put things when we reach our destination
Thiefs will be less interested in us than in somebody carrying valuables

He told his disciples to travel lightly...maybe for some of the reasons cited above. But it also made them dependent upon the community of others for food, shelter and any other physical needs they had. Traveling lightly made them less self reliant...which set up the opportunity for others to serve them. And we hear many stories about people who opened them homes to the traveling disciples...feeding them and providing hospitality of all sorts. Those spontaneous gatherings provided time and space for the disciples to hear the stories of their hosts and

for the disciples to tell their hosts about the Kingdom

Consider all that you pack when you go on a journey ... whether it is for several weeks or just a day trip. The more you take the less likely it is that you will need to stop and ask for (or purchase) assistance. Truth be told, for most of us who travel now with cell phones, and gps devices, we have almost completely eliminated the need to relate in any way with other people we encounter on the path. In fact, it is not unusual for us to be so preoccupied with what we are doing with the ipod or bluetooth device that we don't even REALLY SEE the people or happenings we encounter on the path. I wonder.... how many opportunities to have a spontaneous (and meaningful) connection with someone are aborted now because we tend to travel with "stuff" ... even if we do hear somebody talking it is likely (and often accurate) that we assume they are talking to somebody via their mobile device and completely ignore them.

As you travel the time of the day before you, try traveling lightly... If traveling alone, practice the art of connecting with the stranger, the other. If traveling with another, practice companionship, deepening your understanding of one another and appreciating the purpose to which you are called.