Go back!

In the Gospel of the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13–35), two disciples walk away from Jerusalem—away from the place of suffering, confusion, and shattered hope. They thought it was over. They thought Jesus had failed them.

So they left.

But somewhere along the road, in the breaking of the bread, their eyes were opened and everything changed.

Hibla: The Message of the Readings

What’s striking is not just that they recognized Jesus—it’s what they did next.

They turned back.

They walked the same road again, but in the opposite direction. Back to Jerusalem. Back to the very place they had fled from. Back to the uncertainty, the danger, the unfinished story.

Why?

Because once they knew it was true—once they encountered the risen Christ—they could no longer pretend otherwise.

This is what conversion looks like. It’s not always a change of scenery. Sometimes, it’s the courage to return. To face what you avoided. To re-enter the mess, but this time with clarity, with faith, with Christ.

We often want escape. From broken systems, from exhausting realities, from the weight of everything happening around us. It’s tempting to just walk away—to numb ourselves, to distract, to follow something or someone easier.

But the Resurrection doesn’t remove us from the world. It sends us back into it.

Not blindly. Not hopelessly. But differently.

Hugot: Points to Ponder

We also want to leave sometimes.

From problems. From systems that feel broken. From a world that feels too heavy to care about.

But once you know Christ is alive—once you’ve encountered Him—

you don’t get to pretend nothing changed.

So where are you being called to return?

Not because it’s easy.
But because now—you know.

Hamon: The Challenge

Where is God asking you to return—not because it’s easy, but because it’s true?