As we run down the road, how do we adjust the trajectory of our lives? What’s it like for you? Quick! Turn here! Or, shoot, I missed it… guess I’d better turn around and go back?
Perhaps the question is determined by who is driving the vehicle. Who sits in the driver’s seat? And, who came up with this particular destination in the first place?
What we are talking about here is navigation. Global positioning. In our world of OnStar, MapQuest and smart phones, one need not remain directionally challenged. But how about spiritual direction? Where does one find the spiritual GPS app to help you along your spiritual journey?
I’m surprised how I have consistently embarked on significant life journeys with no solid idea where I was going. I’ve yet to do that in a car. I mean really, who gets in a car, fires up the ignition, puts it in gear, and then says “I have no clue where I'm going. I guess I'll know it when I see it?” But I must confess, that is exactly what I’ve done — with college, with careers, wives, and children.
How do we know which way to turn?
The basic question is one of pilgrimage vs. wayfaring. There is a difference. Pilgrimage is linear, with a well-defined beginning, middle and end. The pilgrim’s journey is one of the road. Sure, there might be hardship and sacrifice, but you always know where you are going.
Wayfaring is far less specific. You set out, unsure of the exact end, but you’ll know it when you see it. Wayfaring is like traversing the deep blue ocean. Think Christopher Columbus.
It’s not as though one must choose one way over the other to get around in this life. But I believe we have an innate preference for how we like to journey.
The clearest model of this dichotomy I’ve seen is the labyrinth. Here at Richmond Hill, we have one, and it’s called the Jerusalem Mile. There is no right or wrong way to walk the Mile. Nothing to it but to do it. Step up, step in, just keep putting one foot in front of the other, and guess what? You will arrive at the center.
The object lesson here is two-fold. One, you have to show up. And two, you must engage the process. Along the way, there will be reversals, switchbacks, and headings directly away from your goal. Just like real life.
But, if you stay faithful and stay the course, regardless of how many times you get turned around, you will reach your destination. Keeping some Scripture in the glove compartment is also a good idea.
Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. — (Psalm 119:105)