There is a dreadful and wonderful place that all travelers in this life will encounter. It is called the crossroads. It is where two roads intersect and the sojourner must make a choice. From this point forward nothing will be the same. And for better or worse this is the place of decision. Often times these crossings can seem as insignificant as what to have for dinner or as monumental as letting go of a lifelong dream. It doesn’t matter what you believe or where you’ve come from, all people face these crossroads.
If you want to know where to discover faith, look no further than the crossroads. It is not comfortable and it is not always easy. In fact, the pressure can be so overwhelming that a good majority of people would rather not venture here at all. Life seems to be more manageable when all the details are certain. The original question of faith is where will you place your trust? Can you be sure that you’ve got everything under control? Is the path you’re on really the ideal course? What if you’re wrong? That tension you feel, that is where faith is born.
God loves the crossroads because he loves faith. That is part of the reason people either hate God or deny his existence. They are afraid that he is going to call everything they are and do into question. And in all reality that is exactly what God does. A rich young man of influence approaches Jesus Christ one day and says he’s done everything (almost jokingly) to get to heaven. Jesus looks at him and says, "If you want to give it all you've got, go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me.” In an instant this rich young man is at a crossroad. Racing in his mind are questions like, “Can I sell everything?” “What will people think of me?” “How can Jesus be so hard on me?” And yet part of him knows Jesus is right. Where will this rich young man place his trust?
The crossroads is where God exposes the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. It is a vulnerable place where like the rich young man we’re not as strong as we think we are. Even our weaknesses are tested. How often do we hold onto things that are keeping us in pain? God is asking us to let go. The rich young man couldn’t give up his riches. The Bible says he walked away heartbroken because he had great wealth. No more games. Faith is serious and this place has lasting consequences. The crossroads requires that we stop playing around and face reality. Sound like fun?
What we seem to forget is that God is always with us. He is especially with us when we’re at a crossroads. It is exciting to realize that God is on your side (unless of course you’ve never decided to follow him). Jesus said that if we choose to remain with him, he will remain with us. God knows how strong our faith will be once we have chosen to walk the path he has laid in front of us. He doesn’t always make choosing any easier but then where would our faith be? There are also going to be times when we make mistakes and choose the wrong path. God’s grace, his free gift of love and forgiveness, is there to carry us along to the next crossroad and beyond.
It should be noted that we are in this life together. No one should journey to the crossroads alone. That might be why there are so many churches and Christian gatherings called Crossroads. God wants us to support each other through shared advice, wisdom, and prayer. Faith is not easy and it we don’t have to walk this path by ourselves. I belong to a group in Juneau, AK called Crossroads. We gather throughout the week and then on Saturday nights at 6:30 at Harborview Elementary in the gym. What brings us all together is Jesus Christ and knowing that all of us struggle in our faith, all of us are at various crossroads in our lives. We know and are reminded that this faith in Jesus Christ we have won’t always be comfortable and we’ll work through it as a collective group.
God, speaking through the prophet Jeremiah says, “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Unfortunately, like the rich young man, the people of Israel at that time responded “We will not walk in it.”
What will be our response when God brings us to the crossroads?