Long before he helped bring the cinematic Avengers together as Agent Coulson, Clark Gregg played Calvin Trager, a mysterious entrepreneur who held the fate of Sports Night in his hands.  “Where are we going?” he would ask Dana, the fictional show’s producer. It wasn’t until a co-worker told her the Latin rendering of the question, “Quo Vadimus?” that Dana realized that the show had been saved and that she and her crew actually had somewhere to go beyond the unemployment line.

Christian tradition suggests that Peter asked the same question to the resurrected Jesus.  As the story goes, Peter was fleeing for his life from Rome when he sees Jesus on the road.  “Where are you going?” Peter asks the Messiah.  “Quo Vadis?”  Jesus’ reply: “To go to Rome to die again.” In a moment of clarity, Peter repents, returning to Rome to lose his life for the sake of the Gospel.

Inquiring about destination is a potent and tricky thing, especially for a group or organization. If Peter’s story is any indication, it’s a conversation you can’t afford to dismiss.  We’ve gotten so used to “the joy is in the journey” and “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey” talk that we’ve minimized, become uncertain of, the ultimate reason for why we do what we do.  Starting strong is vital, as is traveling well. But having the right destination? That gives you the reason for everything, not the least of which is  your reason for leaving in the first place.

(photo from formidnight.blogspot.com)