East is East and West is West

Rudyard Kipling once wrote,

Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,

Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment Seat;

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,

When two strong men stand face to face, tho' they come from the ends

of the earth!

Its first line is often quoted, sometimes as an example of Kipling's attitudes to race and to the Empire; but those who quote it thus often completely miss the third and fourth lines. It is worth quoting the refrain which opens, and closes, the poem in full. This may be read as saying that 'it is indisputable that geographic points of the compass will never meet in this life, but that when two strong men [or equals] meet, the accidents of birth, whether of nationality, race, or family, do not matter at all - the Asian is equal to the European'.

Kipling's use of the two geographic points of the compass in his poem, also, reminds us of God's view of our transgressions in the light of His glory and grace. The Psalmist wrote, "As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us" (Psalm 103: 12).

It is technologically possible to travel due west and never live in darkness. As long as you are facing westward and are continually moving toward the sun, you could conceivably never see another nightfall. Once you start westward, you can follow this path and never intersect with an eastward course.

The same can not be said for travelling "Due North." Once you reach the North Pole you will automatically begin to descend on a southernly path until you reach the bottom of the planet. North and South will meet, but East and West never interconnect.

What is the point? In the early days of our nation, travelling westward was a journey of adventure and excitement. Horace Greely's admonition to "Go West, young man!" was heeded by many explorers. To travel west meant that you were daring and willing to think outside of the box. Westward thinking was not for the faint of heart. It was filled with challenges and peril. There was unchartered territory that was so grand and spectacular that it was, and still is, breathtaking. If you were a complacent, lethargic and systematically driven person, then travelling west was not the place for you. Westward thinkers were willing to "Go, where no man has gone before!"

The same principle applies to our spiritual lives. If we are willing to continually look to the SON and follow His direction, we will never walk in darkness. If we continue on this path, westward, it will lead us into places where no one has gone before. Spiritually westward thinkers are not worried about receiving acknowledgement for their exploits. They look solely to Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" for their reward.

So how 'bout it? What path are you on? If you want to follow a path that leads to Christ's righteousness and glory, then focus your eyes on the SON and Go West, Young Man, Go West!!