Fort William.
Today I rode a train. Just that sentence seems a little ridiculous to me. And yet for most of the day, that is exactly what I did.
Here in Fort William there is an old steam engine train, called the Jacobite. Although it is much more commonly known as the Harry Potter train. If you've seen the movies then I'm sure you'll recall the iconic shot of the steam train crossing the viaduct (or great big bridge as I've been known to call it). This is the train used in the movies. It travels over that same stretch of track.
When I heard about it I thought what a fun way to spend the day, that also does not require walking.
And it was fun. And the scenery was stunning.
And somewhere along the way it occurred to me that it hadn't previously occurred to me to care about where the train ends up! The destination didn't matter at all.
How rare is that? That we can say we are in something solely for the journey. That where we end up matter not at all.
Our culture, our world is always pushing us to be on our way somewhere. Climbing the corporate ladder, finishing a project, raising our kids, etc etc etc
And yet our faith lives are so much more about the journey. Yes we talk about life after death, but there is also so much more in our relationship with God along they way. How we discover ourselves and our world. How we step into God's grace. How we experience that grace for ourselves and share it with others. Becoming disciples. Encouraging other disciples along the way.
The train stops twice. Once briefly at a little village with enough time to tour the tiny museum, or if you're me discover friends you've met are also on the train and find a little path to a little red phone booth.
And the end of the train ride, you stop for a couple hours in a little fishing village. Mallaig. It was a lovely villages suddenly full of tourists, while simultaneously a working fishing village. It was such a strange juxtaposition. And yet the perfect place to stop for a bit. To visit with folks I never expected to see again, before our journeys once again took us in different directions.
Today I took a train that I thought went nowhere, and rediscovered the power of the journey, of becoming a disciple myself.
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