“Mind the gaps”

We Columbans have a book, that is updated each year, entitled “Those who journeyed with us”. It contains a brief biographical note about each Columban who has died since the Society of St Columban was founded. It is a way of remembering the anniversary of the death of each Columban. Each morning during mass here in our chapel we briefly acknowledge all those Columbans who have died on that day. Some of these accounts are so short that all it would say is something like “Joe spent 50 years in the Philippines”. And I would wonder: what did he do during those many years? Because these excerpts are so short, there are so many “gaps” in the stories. Hopefully those who knew this Columban, fellow colleagues or parishioners, can still fill in the “gaps”. But, as time goes on, memories fade and we are left with the short biographical notes and the many “gaps”. It is like reading part of the account of Paul’s missionary journey in today’s first reading from Acts 14:19-28. What happened when Paul was almost stoned to death? It says the people thought he was dead, the disciples crowded around him, he got up and went back to town. I think there was more to this story than that. Then it says he went to Derbe and Lystra and Iconium, through the region of Pisidia to Pamphylia and then back to Antioch. Along the way, all it says is that he made many disciples and encouraged them to persevere in the faith. Is that all? There are so many “gaps” in Luke’s story about Paul’s missionary journeys. But in the end what is evident is that there is a bigger story, the story of the movement of the Spirit in the growth of the early church. So too with the stories of the many Columbans “who journeyed with us”. These are part of the bigger story, the story of Christian mission, the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world and throughout time. Still, I think it is important to note the “gaps”. As the voice says in the London Underground - “Mind the gap”. We also need to “mind the gaps” as we read the stories and be aware that there is so much that is left untold. In a sense that is the true heroism of our Columban brothers and sisters who have gone before us. There is so much about what they have done for the sake of the gospel that will, in the long run, be left unsaid. But they will not be forgotten.