I know that for many people who travel regularly, airports can seem very much the same, a bit boring and routine. There are lots of metallic chairs, booming and incomprehensible announcements, delayed flights and anxious people.

Yet another way of looking at it, is a group of people going on an adventure, and that each airport gate can open the way into a different world- to a Mediterranean island, to snowy mountains or a cosmopolitan city. Airports can be places of courage and of human connection.

The possibilities of journey are extraordinary, for we live on such a stunning world, of sea corals, of architectural wonders, of museums, and places of varied and diverse cultures and languages. There is so much to explore and to learn.

Sometimes it takes a bit of courage to travel- we don’t always know much about where we are going. But God goes before us, and in psalm 91 verse 11 it says:

‘He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways’

God doesn’t want us to live in fear, but to try new things, to try different paths, to go on new adventures. At airports, mixed with the apprehension, is also a buzz of excitement and energy, even hope. May we all have the strength, opportunity and motivation to go to new places, whether near or far, which will engage our imagination and curiosity.

Gracious God, your people were often travellers, whether in old testament times in the desert for 40 days, or in the new testament, sharing the good news of Jesus in villages and cities around the Mediterranean. Lord Jesus, please reveal to us what our calling is, and wherever we might be called to be, may we reflect something of your light and love. Holy spirit, give us eyes to notice the beauty in every person and place, and to be inspired by it. May travel be a blessing, which educates, enlarges our perspective, and deepens our appreciation of all You have given us, Amen