By Rich Bunch, World Church Earth Stewardship Team leader

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?”

It’s all about spirit—a Divine Spirit. The key phrase is “Did not our hearts burn within us?” Jesus had said, “I will come again.” The early disciples were then looking for every indication that Jesus’ return was imminent, if not today then certainly in their lifetime. Each evening, they would gather in a home to share what surely were the original potlucks and testimony services. They shared their experiences as evidence that the coming was near.

For some time now, it has been my privilege to meet with a group of men from the Baha’i Faith. We have discovered we have much in common including an affirmation of the worth of all persons and a dedication to the pursuit of peace. As we have journeyed together, we have grown in our understanding and our friendship.

The disciples, on the road to Emmaus, discovered their identity out of a fellowship around a shared meal, with a stranger who had joined them on their journey. For them, it was an exacting experience of revelation that was indelibly forged in their personhood. They hurried back to Jerusalem to share the good news with their friends. I am grateful and fulfilled each week on my journey to Emmaus, with this group of men I can sincerely call friends.

I am grateful for the opportunities afforded me to share in these encounters and my heart burns within me as I journey along each Emmaus road.

Prayer Phrase

“See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

Weaving a Life

Hold, or imagine yourself holding, a piece of patterned cloth. Examine it carefully. Notice overlapping threads, mingling colors that form the design. Write a journal entry or meditate about the threads and patterns of your life. What design do you see? How does the life pattern you are weaving create justice and wholeness in God’s world? What new pattern is God calling you to weave?

Today’s Prayer for Peace

Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.