“It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword”  (Acts 12:1-2, NIV).

         I spent the better part of ten days hunting for seashells on a Florida beach recently. I found a collection of cockles, olives, whelks, and clams. My most prized shell, however, is a three-inch scallop.

 

                      
          The scallop shell has an interesting connection with Jesus’ disciple, James. James and his brother, John, were two of Jesus’ earliest followers. Fishing was their trade. The seashore was their home. As children, I can envision the dynamic duo collecting shells on the beach.
 
        Following the ascension of Jesus into heaven James took his ministry to the Iberian Peninsula. To this day, James is considered the Patron Saint of Spain. James had a passion for spreading the gospel yet had a hard time gaining converts in a foreign country, so he returned to his homeland of Galilee.
 
       However, legend has it that a vision of the Virgin Mary appeared to James on the bank of the Ebro River urging him to return to Spain. James heeded her counsel and revisited Iberia by riding a boat made of a single scallop. On this occasion, God granted James great success in his mission as many people came to faith in Jesus.
 
       James the missionary was much different than the fisherman Jesus’ initially met in Galilee. Jesus described James as one of the sons of thunder, meaning that James had a problem with his temper. His ambition to get ahead in life often put James at odds with Jesus’ lifestyle of servanthood. In one instance, Jesus rebuked James and John for their contentious ways of dealing with those who opposed them.
 
       James was an ordinary pilgrim like the rest of us. The journey he walked with Jesus was long and difficult. At times his emotions got the best of him. The temptation to serve himself occasionally overwhelmed him. Disappointment and failure threatened to undo him. Yet as he continued following Jesus. James eventually learned how to live an authentic, peaceful life, and shared his lessons with others.
 
       Looking more closely at the scallop you will note that the shell has many grooved lines that lead from the outer rim and converge together at the base. The shell represents the many different and unique pathways each of us takes as we follow Jesus. The scallop shell offers an encouraging reminder that though the journey toward full maturity in Christ is long and indirect, Christ has assured us that the routes we are taking all lead back to the One who created us. Even more, in a world that witnesses persons diverging further from one another, we can be confident that Christ ultimately will lead each of our roads back to each other.
 
       James may have been killed for his faith in Jesus, but his legacy of perseverance continues through the life of every believer who focuses more on finishing well instead of how poorly they started. So, stay in the groove. Don’t allow your setbacks to shellshock you. The conclusion to your story is awaiting for you to roll in victoriously with the tide.