“Whither goest thou?” “The Whither of our driving self-transcendence is that ineffable plenitude toward which we are journeying, the goal which summons and bears our thirsty minds and desiring hearts.” (Elizabeth A. Johnson, Abounding in kindness, 2015) For me this idea, taken by Johnson from Rahner is a good one. i have limited time but I will try to reflect on this
Whither... is a question not a clear destination is an orientation that is hard to label or type but is a movement, a wandering, intentional movement toward Whither then but into love? Toward then the creative act of hope that created a universe and allowed us freedom within it to fiery words of prophets and the forgotten labouring of countless mothers to the wilderness to voice our discontent and be given manna and eventually perhaps home to the law and past the law and back to the heart of justice, kindness, humble with Whither? There then to the pages of human history and forward to the girl found suddenly pregnant the "women's business" discussed by cousins the casting of the mighty from their thrones the lifting up of the lowly and our willingness to bear the cost the foot of the cross...but not yet because first to the water changed to wine the friends on the road the stories woven and meals shared the hospitality of the Marthas and the ears of the Maries the raising of the dead brother (if only) the loaves, the fishes the one last great party, the foot washing the kiss of betrayal, the friends asleeep alone and terrified the refusal to compromise with abuse the ridicule, the slowly inevitable unravelling of the world the foot of the cross the abandonment by God the faithful women (themselves unfaithfully forgotten). The cold, dark tomb the heavy stone the light-clad stranger (angel?) the women's faithfulness beyond real hope the unexpected absence signifying presence the hearts burning within us the breaking of the bread the eternity. And whither then in 2016? The commissioning back into justice, kindness, walk humbly wither with her costly justice, reckless kindness humbly, passionately, openly, lovingly walk into the truth, the beauty Wisdom calls on every corner of every street whither? With her How to summon up an answering baby Wisdom within myself?
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