Chalk Paths,
Painted by Eric Ravilious (1903-1942),
Painted in 1935,
Watercolour on paper
© Wikimedia
Chalk Paths,
Painted by Eric Ravilious (1903-1942),
Painted in 1935,
Watercolour on paper
© Wikimedia
You will each go your own way, leaving me alone
John 16:29-33
His disciples said to Jesus, ‘Now you are speaking plainly and not using metaphors! Now we see that you know everything, and do not have to wait for questions to be put into words; because of this we believe that you came from God.’ Jesus answered them:
‘Do you believe at last? Listen; the time will come – in fact it has come already – when you will be scattered, each going his own way and leaving me alone.
And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but be brave: I have conquered the world.’
Reflection on the watercolour
At the beginning of our Gospel reading we hear the disciples being very confident in their faith. They seem very solid in their relationship with Jesus. But Jesus punctures their self-confidence and tells them that they will leave him and abandon him. Actually the very next day during the trial, passion and death on the cross, where were the disciples? Jesus tells us that we too can’t be too complacent and self-confident in our relationship with God. We have to work at it every day. The temptation is constantly to go our own way. But we have to stay the course and keep walking with Christ.
Our watercolour on paper by Eric Ravilious titled Chalk Paths was executed in 1935. It depicts the Sussex Downs. We see fields with many different paths. These paths all disappear behind the hills and trees, so we cannot be sure which path would lead us to our destination. The Gospel reading prompts us not to go our own way but, rather, Christ’s way. Even when we do go our own way, all is not lost, as we can always come back to the main road that God wants us to walk on…. There we will find Jesus to be our trail guide, always waiting for us and showing us the way.
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Ravilious was a fine artist who unfortunately died in an air crash during the war. I have a picture of his called ‘Good Friday’ which shows the countryside all asleep before the Spring, Easter, and the new life rising from the ground.