“God’s Word is our great heritage / And shall be ours forever; / To spread it’s light from age to age / Shall be our chief endeavor. / Through life it guides our way, / In death it is our stay. / Lord, grant, while worlds endure, / We keep our teachings pure / Throughout all generations.”- Lutheran Service Book #582
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. . . . Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.”- Psalm 119:105,111 (ESV)
“We can’t be found if we never admit we’re lost.”- Steve Carter
The Word of Life mural on the campus of the University of Notre Dame measures 134 feet high and 68 feet across. Created by artist Millard Sheets, some 6700 pieces of granite in more than 140 colors form the 324 panels that compose the mural. These pieces of granite come from 16 foreign countries and 11 states. Dedicated on May 7, 1964, the Word of Life cost $200,000 and is located directly behind the north endzone of the football stadium.
Inspired by a passage from the first chapter of John’s Gospel, the mural depicts Christ the Teacher at the top. Images of prophets and historical figures in Christianity process in ascending order. Beginning with classical and Old Testament scholars near the bottom. Furthermore, Father Theodore M. Hesburgh (1917-2015), past president emeritus of Notre Dame, once likened the mural to “a kaleidoscope of personalities that make up the history of Christianity and pre-Christianity as well. It’s very rich philosophically and theologically.”
Writing in Grieve Breathe Receive (2024), Steve Carter describes pilgrimage as a sacred practice. Because the subtle beat of walking provides comfort. Most significantly, a pilgrimage begins when you decide to go on the journey and continues long after you finish. Hence, it possesses great spiritual power as we ponder our great heritage as Christ followers. And, as one of the Desert Fathers and Mothers exhorted centuries ago: “You need a spiritual pilgrimage. Begin by closing your mouth.”
Therefore, Steve counsels, just listen. Make room for quiet – no distractions. Above all, pay attention to what stirs within you and around you. Thus, we need to avoid reliance on what we can control and measure. Instead, we attend to where the Holy Spirit leads and guides us within our great heritage. God the Father celebrates whenever lost things are found.
In Luke 15 Jesus told three stories about being lost. Through these accounts, Jesus issued a great invitation. He invited people to experience the goodness of grace, peace, and acceptance. Things that come from being found in Christ. Because one way or another, each of us someday encounters disruption severe enough to bring us to our knees, lost and alone. But, as Steve’s friend Jon wisely observed: “If you never get lost, you can never be found.”
When we talk about the lost being found in the context of a church setting, we refer to someone coming to faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. But, Steve wonders, what if Jesus also intended to teach us that His kingdom is open to anyone who feels lost in:
- faith?
- the future?
- grief?
Here’s the good news! When we accept the truth that we are indeed lost, we give ourselves the best chance of Jesus finding us again. Reconnecting to our great heritage.
Finally, Steve notes that each of us is a work in progress. He explains:
“One of my favorite quotes comes from the tombstone of Ruth Bell Graham, which says, ‘End of construction — Thank you for your patience.’ The sentiment is so theologically rich as she unpacks that none of us ever fully arrive this side of heaven. . . . We can still go deeper with Jesus to discover more of God’s heartbeat for humanity.”