The Emmaus story offers us a paradigm that some suggest can be a framework for life. 

In Luke’s Gospel, we hear a story which recounts a journey for two people who are feeling bewildered and scared, are heading away from Jerusalem and for all intents and purposes have abandoned their part in Jesus’ mission.

They begin this journey reflecting on their experience and trying to make sense of the death and rumoured resurrection. Whilst walking a man whom they do not recognise approaches them "but their eyes were kept from recognizing him” (Luke 24:16). This stranger invites them to tell the story of what has happened. “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?”  (Luke 24:17) It is here that he models meeting them where they are, as they are and then invites them to share their story and in turn, He listens deeply and becomes engaged in their reality. They share their story of sadness and loss of hope. They are unable to see that through Jesus’ death he had accomplished all that was required. They lament that God seems so far away in the midst of this experience and they don’t know where to turn.

We too can often find ourselves in this situation. We can fail to see the extraordinary in the ordinary or the hand of God holding us as we journey. Something has not gone right and we can be so absorbed in what is happening around us that we fail to recognise our Christ who is walking behind us, beside us and with us.  It is vital, during these uncertain times we find ourselves living in, that we recognise and remember that we are never alone.