Go Beyond

Domine Ivimus － two Latin words written on a stone tablet by some unknown individual who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in the Fourth Century.

Archaeologists discovered the tablet bearing this message that somehow survived the ravages of time. Carefully written beneath a crude outline of an ancient ship, the words commemorate the commitment of a Christ-follower. The translation: “Lord, we went.” What a message! These simple words inspire and challenge me to go beyond.

I cannot help but wonder about the person who wrote the message on the stone tablet.

What challenges did this individual face? What fears had to be overcome? What sacrifices were made in order to book passage on the ship so crudely etched into the stone tablet? What did this pilgrim feel at the first sight of Jerusalem? In what ways was this unknown traveler changed? What happened when he or she returned home? What stories captured the imagination of the children who heard them and were consequently inspired to go beyond?

Those who go beyond today face many of the same challenges as the ancient pilgrim. But because they go, they also return home somehow changed by their experiences. God uses those who go beyond to make a difference but also makes them different.

St. Augustine said, “The world is a book. He who does not travel reads only a single page.” Those who go beyond read another page, broaden their vocabulary, become better informed, and see the world through new eyes. You don’t have to go far, you just have to go somewhere … perhaps across the room, across the hall, across the street, or across the globe.

Where will you go to make a difference? Go beyond for God and His purposes and write the words Domine Ivimus on the tablet of your heart.