I find it more than a bit ironic that as humans, (maybe this is just the male of the species?) we tend not to consult other sources when traveling to an unknown destination. Perhaps it is the adventurous spirit within us, perhaps it is just the sense of “I can do it on my own.” But for whatever reason, we believe ourselves able to get there, without really knowing where we are going. I wonder if our faith journey is ever like that. We might believe that we are already sure of where we are going, so why do we have to bother to consult “the map” along the journey. Or we might just be so focused on the destination that we forget that there is joy in the journey. In Jesus “I am” statements from scripture, he reminds us that he is the way. Not just a nice person or prophet or teacher, but the path, the road and the map to where we want to be as disciples. Jesus reminds us that in all of our seeking and searching, he is right there with us, beside us, ready to lead us. I think Jesus also understands that in our humanness, we are going to try to “go it on our own”. With unlimited patience, he seems to say, “I’ll be right here, don’t worry, I’m with you through all of your journey.” So the invitation then is to stop searching in all the wrong places for how to get there, and open our eyes to the way which is right in front of us. Here is to walking in the way, the one with truth and life!