Pressing On

This afternoon a number of us visited another of the Meteora monasteries the hard way: walking all the way. It was a demanding climb but the monastery view at the top were worth it.

Walking seems to me to be a key part of the pilgrimage experience. There is something quite powerful spiritually about going on a journey which requires commitment, energy and focus. We are shaped to some extent by what lies ahead, pressing on, if you like, for the goal that lies before us. It's not going to happen by simply wanting it to happen; we have got to give of ourselves to reach where we want to be.

The apostle Paul took a similar view on the Christian life. Writing to the church in Philippi, which we visited a few days ago, he writes:

'I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called make heavenwards in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:12-14)

Perhaps the pressing on we did today on our walk could remind us of the pressing on we are called to do - following the Lord Jesus in this life before we see him face to face in the next.