12 January 2025
"In the hustle and bustle of life—our jobs, families, responsibilities—many of us have asked ourselves, "What is the point of all this?" It’s easy to get caught in the routine of modern life, where everything feels like a treadmill: you run, you work, you struggle, but you’re not really moving forward. The answer to that question, I believe, is hidden in the life and teachings of Christ. But here's the thing: understanding the Way of Christ isn’t just about what we do or believe—it’s about who we are becoming.
This isn’t about rigid rules or outdated traditions. It’s not about conforming to someone else’s idea of what Christianity should be. No, the Way of Christ is a radical invitation to transformation, to a life infused with mystery, love, and deep inner change.
The Way of Christ is not about seeking certainty. It's about embracing mystery. It's about living with the tension of not having all the answers and yet, still being in relationship with a God who is bigger than any one box we can put God in.
Think about this: Christ’s life, his death, his resurrection—they weren’t simply about right belief. They were about surrender. They were about letting go. In fact, the Way of Christ challenges us to be open to the world and its messiness, rather than retreating into safe, controlled spaces. It’s about allowing ourselves to experience the pain and joy of life fully, knowing that God is with us in it all.
The Bible itself isn’t a rulebook—it’s a story. And this story invites us into a journey. A journey not of perfection, but of progress. Not of certainty, but of discovery. And it’s a story we are invited to participate in, not just as passive listeners, but as active players who bring our own stories, struggles, and triumphs into the mix.
You see, this is where the Way of Christ intersects with our daily lives. It speaks to our desire to live with meaning in a world that often feels fragmented and lost. It challenges us to move beyond superficiality, to see the divine spark in one another. To love not just with words, but with actions that bring justice, compassion, and peace into our communities.
And here’s where we turn to the voices of those who have walked the mystical path before us—women like Julian of Norwich and Teresa of Avila. These women knew that the Way of Christ was more than just doctrine; it was an experience. Teresa of Avila once said, “Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours.” In that simple statement, she captured the essence of the Way: we are the hands and feet of Christ. We are called to be Christ to one another, especially in a world that seems to desperately need the kind of love and mercy that Jesus embodied.
And let’s not forget the profound insights of modern mystics like Cynthia Bourgeault, who has written about the deeper meanings of Christ's presence in the world. She teaches us that to walk the Way of Christ is to engage in a deep, contemplative silence, where God is present not just in the words we speak, but in the spaces between those words. It’s in the pauses, in the stillness, that we find the living God who holds the universe and our hearts in balance.
We’re often balancing so many different aspects of life—work, family, responsibilities, and personal growth. But the Way of Christ invites us into a deeper rhythm. It’s not about adding more to our already full plates, but about shifting the way we engage with the world. It’s about seeking presence over productivity. It’s about practicing gratitude over grasping. It’s about embracing the mystery over demanding the answers.
Let me leave you with this: The Way of Christ is not about getting everything right. It’s about being open to transformation, even in the midst of uncertainty. It’s about learning to love when it’s hard, to forgive when it seems impossible, to act justly when the world feels unjust.
The true meaning of Christ’s way is a deep call to live with eyes wide open—seeing the beauty, the pain, and the possibility in every moment. And in doing so, we become the reflection of Christ’s love in the world. Because the way of Christ is always about love—love for others, love for ourselves, and a radical love for the world as it is, messy and beautiful all at once.
So, this year ahead, 2025, I challenge you to ask yourself: How can I live more fully in the Way of Christ? How can I step into that mystery and love, and be a living example of that love to the world around me? The invitation is here, right now, for all of us. Happy New Year."
Fr Ben Edwards
Vicar of Holy Innocents Great Barton & St Peter's Thurston
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