Proceed to the Route

As someone who always has his phone on silent, I was startled when I heard it speak to me as I entered the church. I had come to the funeral of a friend’s mom and used GPS to get me there. I forgot to turn it off when I arrived, so as I entered the sanctuary it said, “Proceed to the route.” The connection between the words and the purpose of the space I was entering was so obvious I had to laugh. As one who has always longed for God’s voice, I never imagined it coming in such a way.

The most meaningful way the spiritual journey has been described to me is as a journey. With a beginning and end, with twists and turns and up and downs, thinking of my walk of faith much like a walk up a mountain trail has helped me envision my life-long spiritual trek. As one who has climbed many mountain trails, I know how easy it is to lose one’s way. Sometimes the trail can become obscure or other trails can make the way confusing. No wonder we can so easily lose our way. Hopefully, we will realize our mistake and have the ability and willingness (not the same thing) to return to the proper trail, or as my phone reminded me, we proceed to the route.

I’m embarrassed how often I’ve lost my way. While each wrong turn has been unique, beneath them all is a common cause: self-centeredness. Self-centeredness wears a thousand masks, but its sole purpose is to get us off the spiritual path. Because I’m not very good at this spiritual stuff, I need to read a lot, consult countless “maps,” spend time with other travelers, and reflect each morning on the day’s journey. Still, I lose my way and need to proceed to the route over and over again. It’s never fun to admit you’ve lost your way, and it’s sometimes hard to summon the humility needed to turn around, but returning to the route is part of the spiritual journey, and I’m grateful for the grace that makes it possible.

We all in need to proceed to the route from time to time. Rather than bemoan the reasons why, I give thanks for the invitation to return, even if it comes from my phone.